Bait II- The Breaking Point
by Jade-Eyed-Jinchuriki
Summary: War is imminent, as the Keyblade wielders set out in search of lost comrades and prepare for battle, Xehanort and Organization XIII seek out the remainder of their vessels to begin the clash themselves. But this time, Xehanort has a nasty twist planned. Sequel to "Bait," Rated for general dark and mature stuff.
1. Finding Master Aqua

A.N. What has stolen my muse? The announcement of Kingdom hearts 3 of course! Now I wanna write a sequel to "Bait" that focuses on some of the recurring fan theories/wishes. But of course, since I seem to do oh so well at writing dark fics, This fic will be a bit dark. Not only will fan theories come into play, but some of my own headcanons and ideas will be incorporated. The title? For now I'm calling it "Bait 2" but if anyone has a better name or I can think of one myself as the story progresses, it will change. So, Enjoy!

Chapter 1

They had all been sent on separate missions, starting with Riku scouting out the realm of Darkness to find another Keyblade master known as "Aqua." It had to be him as he had a special resistance to the effects of Darkness and therefore was the only one who could endure it for long periods. Even so, the mission had found him back in the one outfit he hoped he'd never have to see again. It was made of a rough, itchy fabric that he easily got overheated in, consisting of black pants, tunic, and boots, all covered in a long black cloak.

As badly as he wanted to cast the uncomfortable outfit aside in favor of his street garb, he knew better. The outfit had a special property that guarded against the effects of Darkness. Even a strong-hearted individual would be consumed by it if exposed long enough.

"Hello! Can anybody hear me?" Riku shouted out into the vast expanse, getting no response.

_Surprise, surprise..._ He thought bitterly, brushing his sweaty bangs away from his face. His hair was growing back quickly, already nearly as long as it was when their adventure first started all those years ago. He had decided to cut it for the very reason he was bothered by it now- girls all over Destiny Islands and in other worlds used to swoon over it, but the long silver tresses only proved to be a liability as they would easily cover his eyes in battle.

He had been wandering in the Dark realm for nearly three days now, and if it took much longer, he'd have to turn back to get more provisions. He was only down to bread, water, and a few potions as it was.

Seating himself at the edge of a formation, he allowed himself some of the water he had left, and gave himself time to think as he recovered. There was one thing different about this part of the realm. It didn't have nearly as many heartless as the other parts. Either there was some type of energy at play here, or someone was driving them off.

It didn't mean they were completely eliminated, as a small swarm of five or six Shadows approached, stinging Riku with their swift, darkness infused strikes.

"Don't I ever get a break!" He exclaimed sarcastically as he summoned Way to the Dawn, quickly dispatching three of the Shadows. The rest scattered away, using their strange and creepy ability to sink into the landscape.

"No you don't!" He exclaimed, zoning in on one of the remaining Shadows, Keyblade at the ready, when the creature disintegrated before his eyes, taken out by a thundaga spell.

_Wait a minute..._ he thought, remembering it was not him who had cast the spell. He turned around, not letting his guard down the whole time.

"I thought I heard someone shouting over here..."

Riku found himself face to face with a beautiful but wise looking woman. She walked with an air of confidence and grace, clad in simple fighting garb, with long steel-blue hair running past her shoulders. There was an unmistakable look of relief, mingled with mild amusement on her face.

"Are you master Aqua?" Riku cut right to the chase. The woman nodded.

"And who might you be?" she responded.

"M-master Riku..." He stammered. He was still uncomfortable with the title, it made him feel... less than worthy, but Yen Sid told him to start introducing himself to other keyblade wielders as such, so he did so.

"A newly named Keyblade master I imagine too," Aqua said with a hint of a smile on her face. "Many of them feel that sense of humility for a while. Don't feel ashamed, you were given the title of Master for a reason."

"I... I hear that so often from my friends. Yet, coming from another master, it feels... different." Riku said. "But there are more pressing matters than rank right now... War is imminent, and we need all the aid we can gather. Master Aqua, I've come to bring you back to the realm of Light, and we beg for you and your comrades to help us."

End of Chapter 1


	2. Comrades

Chapter 2

Aqua's eyes widened at the mention of the word "comrades," in them reflected the familiar flicker of painful memories many said Riku himself wore.

"Ven? Terra? You mean... they found a way?"

"That's why we need you. My master says only you know the exact location where one of your friends sleep. I have a friend, he may hold the secret to waking him up."

Riku saw true happiness flicker across Aqua's face briefly as she contemplated all that this new information meant. Then it went back to the same serene, haunted expression she wore most often.

"Wait... I get the impression we've met before."

Riku could remember it too, though the memory had been pushed far back in his mind for a long time. It all came flooding back, the time where those three strange visitors came to the islands. One of them had given Riku the ability to wield a Keyblade.

"Yes, it was you, and another little boy, on an island where star-shaped fruit grow."

Sora. Paopu fruit. Two things he didn't want mentioned in the same sentence as himself. Especially after one bad drug-induced encounter at Disney Castle months ago.

"I must say, you've grown into a handsome young man. And your friend, what has become of him?"

"Sora? He's grown up a lot since then too. There's something... special about him. He has this way of bringing the brightness out in nearly everyone he meets."

Aqua laughed. "I suspected as much, he was a splitting image of Ventus when I met him." Her expression darkened again. "Do you really think he can save him?"

There was no time to speculate, as suddenly a mass of 50 or so heartless swarmed out of nowhere, attacking at random.

"A swarm!" Aqua exclaimed, summoning her own Keyblade as Riku did likewise, ready to take out the fray.

XXXXXXXX

"But it's been _three days,_ Master! How do we know Riku hasn't been taken hostage by the Organization again?"

Sora was becoming increasingly impatient, every day without his best friend's presence at his side was now a cause for alarm. He had become extremely overprotective of Riku ever since an Organization member named Xigbar turned rogue and stabbed him with a prototype of a Draining Blade. Riku had nearly died from the efforts of removing a mere fragment of it from his body. Though Sora had been put through psychological training alongside his usual sparring and magic sessions, it had done little to ease the anxiety he felt whenever Riku was involved.

"Sora! You need to focus on maintaining your calm in times like this." Yen Sid admonished gently. "Use that connection you both share, can you sense any distress from him?"

Sora tried to calm down and focus his energy on the connection. He could feel no pain, panic, distress, nor the hazy feeling he'd experience if Riku had been drugged or rendered unconsious. Just a sensation he could only describe as... an adrenaline rush. Riku must have been in combat, but not in any danger.

"There, did you feel anything?" Yen Sid asked when Sora returned his thoughts to the here and now.

"Nothing to get freaked out over..." Sora replied sheepishly.

"Very good. Next time, try to focus on your connection should you feel that anxiety start to grow again. You know I would have sent someone to find him by now if I suspected anything out of the ordinary, you have nothing to fear."

XXXXXXXX

"I think... that was... all of them..." Aqua panted as she let her Keyblade vanish. It was a difficult battle, but not an unusual one.

"Yes, I can't detect any more...AHN!" Riku suddenly cried out and fell to his knees, clutching his left arm. Aqua ran to his side.

"Are you all right?" She asked, concerned.

"I'm fine, it's n-nothing..." he answered.

Lifting his hand, he found that one of the heartless, a lancer most likely, had struck him and left a deep gash on his upper arm. He hadn't even felt it until just now. He gave the injury no thought, simply reaching in his pocket and retrieving a length of black cloth- the blindfold he had worn while trying to suppress his inner darkness years back. He now used it to bind the wound, then forced himself to drink a potion.

Shuddering from both the pain in his arm and the vile taste of the potion, Riku stood up, holding out a hand to Aqua and helping her to her feet.

"Come on, it's going to take a couple days, but let's get out of here..."

End of Chapter 2


	3. Stubbornness will get you nowhere

Chapter 3

The Dark realm was unpredictable, sometimes they would find themselves in an uninhabited wasteland like the one Sora and Riku had found themselves in after defeating Xemnas, other times they would find themselves in a surreal, dystopian town or village that was inhabited by those who had fallen to dark ways.

It was a nightmare, but this was how Aqua had managed to survive in the dark realm after all those years. She obviously knew her way around better than Riku did- the one time he ever ventured into one those communities, he had been driven out in an almost brutal manner. Aqua however chose her words carefully while haggling with the villagers, and soon she had managed to procure more supplies for her and Riku.

Riku never let his guard down the entire time, always poised to attack if anyone provoked them. He ignored the rising pain in his arm, the wound had not showed any signs of healing in the hours since he received it. No matter, what was important right now was getting Aqua safely back to the realm of light. Yen Sid could treat the wound when they returned.

"How far do we have to go to get to the point of return?" Aqua asked him as they left the village.

"It will be a three day journey, longer if we encounter too many enemies."

"Shouldn't be an issue, since the Heartless tend to keep their distance from the villages. The real question is, why? We should be able to open a portal to light right here if we need to."

"It's too risky to do so just anywhere..." Riku said, wincing as another flare of pain traveled up his arm. "Too little is known about the Dark realm. Opening a portal in an unknown area could find us reappearing anywhere, including hostile worlds, dangerous terrain, or even in the realm between worlds. It's better to go to a known place than to take our chances anywhere."

As though to further affirm his statement, suddenly a dark corridor opened right in front of them. Lea emerged from it, chased by a swarm of Dusks. He collided with Riku, hard enough to knock both of them to the ground.

"Lea... do you mind... moving your knee!" Riku said through gritted teeth as Aqua began to dispatch the Dusks. He was kneeling right on the younger man's groin. Riku shoved Lea off of him, annoyed, and summoned his own blade, taking out a large number of Dusks in one swift swing. The small group took them all out quickly, Riku quickly turning to the reckless novice as soon as they finished.

"Lea! Why are you here? Yen Sid sent you on a training mission!"

"Thought I'd take a little detour in the World that Never Was, see how our good friend Xehanort was doing. But obviously, I got caught!"

"What goes through your HEAD in times like that?!" Riku exclaimed in outrage.

"Xehanort?!" Aqua exclaimed.

"Yes, the old bastard that has an obsession with forging the X-blade, Got it memorized?" Lea said, still annoyed with being admonished by Riku, who was at least a decade his junior.

"Can you not be an ass for five minutes!" Riku hissed at him. "This is Master Aqua, one of the seven!"

Lea's face suddenly took on a formal look. "Is that so?" He turned to Aqua, bowing low. "We've been waiting a long time for your return, Master Aqua."

Aqua had began to chuckle at the display between the two men now in her company.

"I think I can remember you too, one of Ansem's students, from Radient Garden. The one with the reckless personality." Lea's face soured at the mention of the term "reckless," he heard that enough times from Yen Sid and the others.

"Radient Garden?" Riku asked, confused

"That's what they used to call Hollow Bastion..." Lea said.

"All that aside, what on earth made you appear _here_ of all places?"

"Who knows, guess I was thinking of you when I summoned the dark corridor."

"I'm flattered..." Riku said flatly.

"I was thinking of how you were gonna chew me out for being reckless when you heard about it!"

XXXXXXX

"Ugh, seriously Riku, I know you're mad, but that's no reason to starve yourself!" Lea said as they sat down to a frugal meal of bread and water.

Riku could only pick at his food. His arm was now flaring with pain, and his stomach was churning. He knew the wound was infected at this point, but he didn't care. He kept thinking it wasn't serious enough to cause worry, Yen Sid could heal him once Aqua and now Lea were safely out of the Dark realm.

"Riku! Are you listening?" Lea pressed on.

"I'm fine. I'm just not hungry..."

"After putting up that much of a fight earlier? I doubt it! I never saw you as the spiteful type, but if you're doing this to spite me, I'll force you!" Lea stood up, walking to Riku and snatching the bread out of his hand.

"Lea, cut it out!" Riku and Aqua both pleaded as Lea grabbed Riku roughly by his left arm, trying to force the bread into his mouth. Riku had to resort to striking Lea to subdue him. Lea staggered away, swearing as Riku sank to his knees, clutching his arm and crying from the pain.

"Riku, whats wrong?" Aqua asked as she noticed the younger man's distress. She approached him cautiously, noticing how he favored his left arm.

"Here, let me take a look at that..." She said, gently prying his hand off the injury.

"N-no, it's nothing!" Riku said, wincing as Aqua's actions caused him to graze the injury, causing a sudden increase in the pain. She gently slipped his cloak off the injured arm, unwinding the makeshift bandage he had made from his blindfold. She gave a soft cry of sympathy as she revealed the full extent of his injury.

"Oh, Riku. Why didn't you tell me it was this bad? We could have gotten you some medicine in the village earlier..."

End of Chapter 3


	4. A new obstacle

Chapter 4

An abscess had formed inside the wound. Aqua could feel the swelling and heat radiating from Riku's arm. But she was confused. The battle that had earned him this injury had happened only a few hours ago. How could infection have set in that quickly?

"I don't care if you really are not hungry right now, that is no reason to send me flying into oblivion! Try it again and... what the hell happened to you?"

Lea had recovered from the punch Riku had landed on him and had approached him, fuming, until he had seen the wound on Riku's arm.

"We were attacked by a swarm of Heartless a few hours ago. One of them must have bitten or clawed Riku's arm. I don't get it though, even as filthy as the Heartless can get, infection can't have set in that quickly, unless..."

"Unless one's immune system were already suppressed..." Lea interjected. "I told Yen Sid it might have been too soon to send Riku out here..."

"What do you mean..." Aqua asked.

"What I mean is Riku had only just recovered from another injury before Yen Sid sent him out here. One of Xehanort's followers tried to rip his heart out, and he nearly died while they were trying to heal him."

"Lea..." Riku growled warningly. He didn't like anyone speaking about his dealings with Xigbar. It was a long and humiliating story.

"Well, we can't just dawdle now. It will be a long journey to the next village, and I don't like how fast this infection is progressing. If I have to carry you, I will, but we need to hurry." Aqua said.

"There's no need. I can walk." Riku answered.

XXXXXXXX

It was still a slow journey, as the infection in Riku's arm quickly set in deeper, it also began to inhibit his ability to function. He felt wobbly, often stumbling and mis-stepping, and he was experiencing something like vertigo, making the world seemed to shift and swirl around him. The intensity of the attacks would rise and fall, one time getting so bad that he fell to his knees and started vomiting.

He had lost so much control over his body that he no longer had the ability to walk by nightfall, making Aqua resort to carrying him. Riku could not protest, knowing if he got stubborn now they would all be doomed. He was the only one who knew how to get out of the realm safely.

Lea kept suggesting that they think of Sora, Kairi, or Yen Sid and use another Dark Corridor to get them out of there based on his theory. Riku wouldn't allow it, giving Lea the same explanation he had given Aqua earlier. He just didn't want to leave it to chance.

Fever had set in, and Riku was slipping in and out of consciousness by the time they hid themselves inside an abandoned dwelling on the outskirts of the village. Aqua found several candles in the small house and lit them using Fire magic. Riku was lying on a dusty sofa in the middle of the room, with Lea kneeling next to him, talking quietly to him.

Riku was clearly in agony at this point. The injury flared with nonstop, throbbing pain. He would let out a sharp outcry every time something grazed it. Lea had been trying to distract him the whole time, asking him questions about random topics. But the only thing holding Riku's focus was the constant pain.

"Lea, p-please! No more!" He pleaded with him after an especially nasty flare-up. He passed out shortly afterwards.

"Poor thing..." Lea said sympathetically as he saw Riku twitching in his sleep, his body still responding to pain even though his mind was gone. He thought maybe Riku could get some relief if he wasn't forced to wear that hot, itchy cloak. He began to slip it off of him as gently as he could.

"Master Aqua, I think you should look at this..." he suddenly said.

He had fully exposed the injury as he tried to strip Riku of his cloak. What he saw concerned him. Aqua came over to them and saw the injury at a better angle. She recoiled at the sight.

The wound was leaking a substantial amount of pus along with a clear fluid. Angry red veins branched out from around the wound. The entire upper arm radiated with an intense, burning heat. Aqua had seen the symptoms only once before, but it was a very grim sign.

"This is not good..." Aqua said hurriedly. "That's a symptom of blood poisoning. I can only hope there is medicine potent enough to treat this in the village. Lea, stay with him, it will be easier and faster if I go get the supplies alone."

End of Chapter 4


	5. The generosity of the Moogles

Chapter 5

The first thing Aqua scouted out in the village was an apothecary. Though she doubted she'd find anything more potent than panacea in this small place, she still had need of other supplies to tend to all of their injuries- that scuffle with the Dusks earlier didn't exactly leave their small group unscathed. She didn't give up hope though, knowing there was another route she could take, though she preferred not to use them unless necessary.

These were people who dabbled in all sorts of dark lifestyles, so black markets were not uncommon. It was how the most scheming of those who dwelt in this realm stayed in power. This market usually sold rare items, delicacies, and weapons, but Aqua had seen enough desperate people procure medicine from the black market. These particular people were suffering from the sort of illnesses potion alone would not touch, so she knew she could find something potent enough to treat blood poisoning there.

The issue was, there was uncertainty in this market, the goods a person sought were not always guaranteed to be there, and even if they were, they were often expensive and sold by hostile and downright unsavory individuals. You had to be very careful in how you dealt with these people, otherwise you were liable to get a knife in your back.

"Is that all?" The shopkeeper, who Aqua was surprised to discover was a Moogle, asked as she dropped the supplies on the counter. She nodded at him.

"700 munny, please." Even in a normal shop, things were expensive. It was probably lucky that she would finally be out of the dark realm soon, as she was more than certain she would spend the rest of her munny getting the medicine for Riku. If she could even find it.

"Hey, I was wondering if you could help me with something..." Aqua explained her situation to the Moogle, who surprised her even further by telling her exactly where to find what she sought. Right in the back of the apothecary.

"I'm afraid that it's old, but I don't think it's lost any of it's potency yet..." The Moogle explained as he handed a pouch containing two vials of a clear liquid and a sealed syringe to her. "A single vial's worth should be all he needs, but if nothing changes in the next day or two, don't be afraid to give him the second dose."

Aqua held the medicine tightly in her fist as she bowed low to the Moogle. "I can't thank you enough. How much do I owe you?"

"Oh, don't worry about payment, kupo! That stuff is old, I had to get rid of it eventually! I just hope it is enough to help your friend. I wish you the best of luck!"

XXXXXXXX

Riku's cloak was draped over him like a blanket, and Lea hoped it's effects against the darkness weren't lessened by that fact. He had dipped into his own water supply in an effort to clean the blood and pus away from the wound. It did little to improve the appearance of it, if anything, it made the angry-looking infected veins around it stand out in greater relief. Riku cried out and struggled the whole time- the fabric Lea had been using was rough, each stroke to clean the wound aggravated the already-sensitive area.

Aqua stumbled into the dwelling, clutching a pack containing the supplies she had just purchased to her chest. She had to be careful to insure nobody would try to steal the valuable items she was currently holding.

"Did you have any luck?" Lea asked as she set the pack on a table and began to rummage through it's contents.

"I think we did..." Aqua said as she retrieved the pouch the Moogle had given her. "It was a Moogle running the apothecary in this town, they've always been such business-minded creatures, and friendly too..." She explained the burst of luck she experienced, along with the generosity of the Moogle.

"If we ever find ourselves back in this area, we should thank him..." Lea said, getting a snort of humor from Aqua.

"I doubt I'll ever want to see myself back in this realm again once we're out of here!" She said in response. She was focused on filling the syringe with the contents of one of the vials. The syringe was just big enough to hold every drop of the medicine. Going to Riku's side, she noticed how Lea had been trying to keep the wound clean. It still looked awful.

Riku hissed in pain as he felt the sting of the needle going into his arm, just below the elbow. Aqua worked with an air of competence, her actions both gentle and efficient. She had gotten the entire contents of the vial into his body in the span of a few seconds, but it would take several hours before they would notice any results.

"I guess, all we can do now is wait and watch..." Aqua said as she looked at the prone, sleeping figure before her.

End of Chapter 5


	6. The Hands of a Healer

Chapter 6

Lea's presence was proving to be a godsend to Aqua, as it afforded them both a chance to get some rest while Riku recovered. They took turns, one standing guard while the other rested. Even though they had one ally in the village in the form of that Moogle, they still took no chances.

It was Lea's turn to stand guard, but Aqua was having trouble getting to sleep that night. So many thoughts weighed heavily on her mind. She was just a short journey from finally being free of the Realm of Darkness. They were going to save Ven, and maybe Terra too. There was a war on the horizon, and that twisted old man Xehanort was behind it. There was a new generation of Keyblade wielders, and she was currently being accompanied by two of them, both of whom she had encountered before in some way or form.

The novice, Lea, had as much of a reckless personality as he did when she met him in his youth in Radient Garden. He had a tendency to be hotheaded, but she could tell that deep down, he cared a great deal for his comrades.

The master, Riku, still held traits that reminded her of Terra- stubbornness, inner conflict, and skill and power with a Keyblade. But she was beginning to see traits of Ven in him too. Based on what she had learned of his history from both him and Lea, Aqua could only guess that Riku had been through a lot for someone so young. She was glad that the other boy she had met all those years back- Sora- had stuck with him through most of it.

She had kept her mind occupied by tending to Riku. She was currently grinding herbs she had purchased from the apothecary into a thick poultice, making a remedy that was common but potent in this realm. If made correctly, it had strong properties to draw out infection, further assisting the slow progress of the medicine already in Riku's body.

As she waited for the poultice to set, she went to Riku, keeping a close eye on his condition. She could tell his fever hadn't broken yet without even touching him- he was trembling, his silver locks plastered to his forehead with sweat.

But there were other signs that told her he was improving: his pulse had finally gone down to a natural level, his breathing was slow, deep, and even, and the injured arm looked better than it did when she first dosed him with the medicine- the swelling had gone down, the angry-looking veins branching out from the wound were less pronounced, and the area was less tender to the touch.

A soft sigh escaped from Riku's lips as Aqua applied a layer of the poultice to his arm and bandaged it loosely to keep it in place. The damp paste felt cool and soothing against the injury.

"Just wait, it'll feel even better than that when it starts working..." Aqua said, more to voice her thoughts than anything.

Lea and Riku's master, Yen Sid, was an accomplished healer. She had wanted to write down every successful technique and remedy used in this realm and leave them to him for his records. Many of them were so simple yet worked so well, that it would lead to advancements in other worlds. However, would those worlds be accepting of them, knowing they were commonly used in the realm of Darkness? Only time would tell.

XXXXXXXX

"Looks like the medicine is finally working..." Lea said as he came to take his own turn to rest and had decided to check up on Riku's condition for himself. The fever was finally going down, probably because Aqua had been forcing him to drink for the past hour or so. Riku was starting to show signs of dehydration, he had been sweating far too much during the full force of the fever. It was a simple fix, but their water supply was starting to dwindle again.

"It's a good thing that Moogle was generous with the medicine. If I had to turn to the black market, we'd have no money to get more food and water now. I'll really have to thank him now!" Aqua said as she slung a pack over her shoulder, intending to go back into the village to refresh their supplies.

Riku had improved enough that he no longer required their constant presence. Lea was more than certain he would wake in a short time, probably as soon as while she was in the village. He hoped that was so, since he wanted to get out of this realm as soon as possible.

XXXXXXXX

_There's no way in, how can I get to him? He could be in danger right now. How can I get to the Realm of Darkness? _

Those thoughts had been chasing themselves in circles around Sora's head for the past day and a half. Every time he tried to access Riku through the bond they shared, he kept finding himself in a hazy world of pain. He had gone to Yen Sid in a panic after that. The old man assured Sora that Riku was safe, after confirming that he was in fact injured, but was currently in the care of Master Aqua and Lea.

"LEA!? How did HE get to the realm of darkness?" Sora asked in outrage after Yen Sid explained this to him.

"I'll have to ask him that myself, he is a long way from the training mission I assigned him. But at least, all of them are close enough to the point of safe passage I had given them that I can sense them all easily. They're just waiting for Riku to recover enough to get them all to that point, but they're all fine."

"So after all that... what is it that you need me to do?"

"Sora. For a long time now, I have sensed the presence of another entity dwelling within your heart. I have come to realize during that time just who that entity is. And we need you there to free him and return him to his own body."

"But wait, if I release him, wouldn't that also mean I would fade away?"

"Kairi is also going to play a part in this for the same reason. Remember how she brought you back after you became a Heartless in the act of releasing her heart? She still has that ability as a Princess of Heart."

"Master? This entity...just who is he?"

"A young Keyblade wielder named Ventus."

End of Chapter 6


	7. Kodomorashi and Meow Wow

Chapter 7

_Riku wandered aimlessly around the little island composed of his childhood memories. He had discovered in recent months that these memories had the strange property of cleansing a persons heart and mind of dark and troubling thoughts. It was where the heart of his replica, who Sora had nicknamed "Kodomorashi," dwelled. Riku was simply trying to ease his own thoughts, and had been drawn to this place in the hope that these memories had that same effect._

_It had helped a little. His mind was clearer and more able to process the thoughts now, but he was still troubled by them. He had been sent out to the realm of Darkness to seek out a keyblade wielder but had only slowed them down because he got injured. He was very much aware of what had been happening in the waking world, and that he was almost cured at the hands of Aqua, but it had also led to these concerned thoughts._

_War was imminent. People were at risk of getting hurt and dying, and yet, the only adept healers Riku knew of in the army of light were Mickey and Yen Sid. The army was going to need more than those two, especially since Mickey was going to be in the fray himself. He had decided to insist that Mickey and Yen Sid train every warrior in the healing arts in the hope of preventing casualties. But how receptive would they be, and how well would these prospective warriors learn in such a short time. More so, where were they going to recruit these warriors?_

_A whining cry broke the silence. It sounded... vaguely familiar. Standing still and silent, he strained his ears to listen again. There it was, louder this time. _

_"Who's there?" Riku exclaimed. In response, a brightly colored, round creature bounded out of the nearby brush and leaped on Riku, giving him affectionate, slobbery kisses. It was a Meow Wow, one of the creatures that had been both his opponents and allys in the Sleeping Worlds he had visited with Sora during their Mark of Mastery exam. This particular one he recognized as Sora's, the same one who had led him to where he had been trapped, asleep, in the World that Never Was._

_"Ok, that's enough, I know you're happy to see me, but knock it off!" Riku said, laughing, as he tried to pry the Meow Wow off him so he could stand up._

_"So that's where you ran off to..." Another voice, this one also extremely familiar, came from the same brush the Meow Wow just escaped from. Riku's replica, Kodomorashi._

_"Why are there Dream Eaters here?" Riku asked his counterpart in disbelief. _

_"Oh, they're not exactly real..." Kodomorashi-Riku explained. "They're just an embodiment of your memories. Make nice companions too..."_

_"I get the point, I should talk to you more often..." Riku said, exasperated. "My mind's just been more focused on other things lately..."_

_"I understand. I actually brought them here in the hope of presenting an idea to you..."_

_"Dream Eaters? How are they going to help with our current situation?" Riku asked._

_"Just remember this... in the Sleeping Worlds, the Dream Eaters were dangerous opponents... however, you discovered another thing about them too. That you could tame them and turn them into allies..."_

_"Heartless wouldn't be so simple..."_

_"Heartless ally themselves with whoever is strongest, and they would make a far better ally than opponent, trust me. Make the army of Light strong enough, and naturally, the Heartless will no longer be a threat. Nobodies are a different story though. They're smart, you've seen the cunning of Organization XIII in action . I can imagine there must be nobodies out there who can see through Xehanort's ambition, and would sooner ally themselves with the army of Light. Think of Roxas, Axel, and Namine."_

_"All of them have become human again..."_

_"That's not my point..." Kodomorashi-Riku said, chuckling slightly. "What I was trying to say was that they all saw through Xehanort's ambition before the end, and had allied themselves with the Light, however briefly. There must be other Nobodies still alive out there, who want to ally themselves with someone other than Xehanort and Organization XIII."_

_"You think... we should recruit Nobodies! It sounds lik a good plan except... How do we distinguish those with pure intention from the imposters?"_

_"Time will tell in that matter. Even those you believe to be enemies may see reason before long..."_

XXXXXXXX

"His fever's finally broken..." Lea said, laying a gentle hand on Riku's forehead. "But, I don't understand. Shouldn't he have woken up by now."

"Give him time, Kupo. He's probably worn out. It takes a lot of energy to drive out a sickness, and blood poisoning's not an easy thing to recover from as it is, even with medicine."

Aqua had brought the Moogle with her to the small house they were hidden in. It had turned out that the creature was trapped in this realm too, and had been seeking out an escape for close to three years now. Allowing it to return with them to the realm of Light was the least Aqua could do after it had saved Riku's life. The aura of pure relief was evident in the creature's behavior.

"Well, can't we use Elixir or something to replenish his energy? We need to get out of here soon. This endless exposure to Darkness can't be doing any of us good."

"I looked, there's not a single drop to spare in this small village." Aqua said. "Though I agree with the Moogle, let him recover his strength naturally. It'll be better for all of us in the long run. And stop being so impatient." Aqua added as an afterthought. "Remember that the three of us have been in this realm for far longer than you. Riku's been here three days longer, the Moogle's been here for three years, and I've been here for close to _eleven. _I don't think another day or two is going to kill us."

Lea's face soured. "Fine. But don't expect me to hang around if you guys wanna traipse in Darkness again..."

Aqua just laughed, deciding not to remind Lea that he was in the realm of Darkness by his own actions. He was just as hotheaded as she remembered him, and knew how easily his pride could get burned.

End of Chapter 7

A.N: On inner-story canon:

1) Kodomorashi-Riku: In the first installment of the "Bait" series, after a brief encounter, Sora gives Repliku the nickname "Kodomorashi," meaning "childlike" or "innocent." The reason is because, in the "Bait" series' inner canon, Repliku was crafted using Riku's childhood memories, and his personality reflects such. Repliku is idealistic, loyal, and a little naive, much like Riku was in Birth By Sleep. That doesn't mean that Repliku isn't smart or mature enough however, as we come to discover time and again that Repliku is a massive source of advice and emotional/moral support for Riku throughout the series.

2) Lea and Riku: In the Kingdom Hearts series, you don't really see a lot of interaction between Axel/Lea and Riku, the only moment being that one in Dream Drop Distance where Lea corrects Riku about his name. "No, I already told you, my name is... fine, Axel, whatever..." I continue to get the impression that Lea and Riku must be in a "frenemies" type of relationship. Lea, being older than Riku, probably resents the fact that Riku is a master while he is only a novice, meaning that Riku probably plays a part in training Lea. It's comparable to being babysat by your youngest sibling. But at the same time, Lea cares a great deal about Riku because he is close to Sora, who is the "somebody" of Roxas, and knows that Riku will not allow Sora to come to harm while he still lives.


	8. Past Horrors, New Fears

Chapter 8

Riku tossed and turned on the narrow sofa that had served as his bed. He had finally given in to the dreams that vied for control of his mind. Many of them were pleasant, often dreams of him and Sora playing at their Island, children again, not a care in the world. Other times, however, He would find himself delving into bizarre or downright frightening nightmares. One instance found him dreaming of being slobbered to death by a swarm of Meow Wows, another found him lost in the dark emptiness of Sora's nightmare, knowing he desperately had to find him, or risk them both being lost in that black abyss. Most unsettling, however, was the recurring flashbacks of his dealings with Xigbar in past months, combining into one long, twisted nightmare:

_Sora was bound and shaking in that cold room, his body completely exposed to the chill because Xigbar had stripped him so that the only thing covering him was the rope that bound him. Riku sat there, struggling against his own bonds with no success. He could only watch helplessly as Xigbar tried to force Sora into submission so he could have his way with him, but Sora still had fight in him. An attempt by Xigbar to pry Sora's legs apart had left him open for a blow to the stomach. Xigbar struck him across the face in retaliation, earning him his second counterattack- a swift kick between the legs._

_That was where the memory ended and the horror story began. Xigbar had gotten to his feet, fuming, and began to beat Sora savagely. Riku could just hear the crunching of his best friend's bones through Sora's harsh outcries and his own screaming pleas, which went ignored until Sora went limp against his binds, barely conscious. Xigbar was about to have his way with him when Riku suddenly made his final, desperate plea:_

_"Please, take me, do whatever you want to me, just stop hurting Sora!"_

_Sora stirred softly as he heard Riku's plea, and the older boy could just hear Sora's begging._

_"No... please... don't do it... Riku..." Xigbar stood up, grinning evilly, as he turned on his new victim._

_"You were going to get your share of the fun eventually, brat. But since you wanna be generous, I'll listen to your demand. Sora, you have a good friend. Riku here just agreed to take everything I had left in store for you, as well as what is waiting for him! But there's a catch: If he dies before I had my fill, you get double what's left! So hang in there, Riku, your friend's life might just depend on it!"_

_That was when he began. Riku had been unconscious through most of the original ordeal, so he was lucky to have been unable to feel most of it. This time was different, what was happening to him now felt like real torture, both the pain and the knowledge that this was what he had planned for Sora. Xigbar had stripped Riku completely naked, just like Sora had been, and began to go through the same ministrations he had the first time he violated him. Riku struggled to suppress his shudders and the growing sensation of nausea as Xigbar, not at all gently, began to grope him._

_"Why so tense, brat?" Xigbar asked sarcastically as his hands moved lower down Riku's body. "I thought teenage boys loved this sort of thing!" he added as he made a quick grab at his arousal, earning a groan of displeasure from Riku. Meanwhile, Sora had recovered enough to cast Cure over himself, and could now be heard struggling and screaming for Xigbar to stop._

_-Sora, please, don't look- Riku thought as Xigbar withdrew his hands long enough to take his gloves off. Returning to his intent, he forced his fingers deeply enough into Riku's mouth to make him gag, withdrawing them just as quickly._

_"We can't have you leaving a blood trail after all of this, can we?" Xigbar said as he forcibly shoved two fingers into Riku's body. Riku tensed up at the intrusion, a low, guttural moan escaping his lips. Xigbar worked his fingers inside the boy's body at a frenzied pace, but Riku remained tense, not wanting to give the man the satisfaction of ease through his endeavors. After several minutes of fruitless attempts to get Riku to loosen up, he withdrew his fingers in distaste. _

_"Fine, have it your way. If you're not gonna relax, you might as well scream!" Xigbar exclaimed in sadistic pleasure as he now forced his entire hand into Riku's body. He couldn't hold back, the man's hand was huge and he could feel it tearing him. Riku let out a blood-curdling shriek, joined almost instantly by Sora's desperate screams of "RIKU! HOLD ON! RIKUUUU!" _

_The younger boy found his strength suddenly, getting loose from his bonds, Sora drew his keyblade and charged at Xigbar with intent to kill. But the man was quick to notice. Tearing his hand from Riku's body, he summoned his weapons, blocking Sora's attack and sending a bullet crystal through his body at the same time. Sora choked up blood and clutched his chest, slumping over._

_"NOOOOOO!" Riku tore through his bonds, fueled by pure rage. He picked up Sora's Keyblade from where it had fallen and threw it at Xigbar. The teeth of the Keyblade pierced the man's neck, ending his life on impact. Riku ran to Sora's side, lifting him into his arms. The younger boy was breathing heavily and choking, bringing up a mouthful of blood with each cough._

_"Ri...ku..." Sora looked at Riku with dim eyes, tears beginning to form in them._

_"I'm here, Sora, it's over. We're safe now, please, hold on." Riku took Sora's hand, rubbing it encouragingly, feeling helpless as he watched his best friend get weaker in his arms, before giving a last, quivering breath and going still._

_"Sora? Sora! Please, wake up! SORA!" He called the boy's name, trying in vain to revive him, only to finally hold the boy to his chest, sobbing quietly._

_"I'm so sorry, Sora. It's all my fault. If I hadn't been so selfish, you'd still be here!" _

_An empty feeling began to take hold: it was cold, lonely, and dark. The feeling was more agonizing than any pain Riku had ever endured. And he could no longer keep it all in. A scream of rage and anguish broke the silence and echoed around the empty room._

"SORAAAAAAA!" Riku was suddenly bolt upright, half-seated, half-lying on a sofa in a strange room, staring into the concerned face of Aqua. As soon as realization set in, he put his face in his hands, sobbing in relief.

"It was a dream... it was only a dream..." Riku repeated to himself, beginning to rock back and forth where he sat.

Aqua hesitantly put a hand on his shoulder, wanting to comfort him while at the same time not wanting to startle him further.

"The Darkness has that kind of effect on a person..." She said, looking into his eyes and nodding in understanding. "It will seek out and invade your dreams, especially if something is troubling you. Is there anything you want to talk about?"

End of Chapter 8


	9. Falling Apart Inside

Chapter 9

He didn't know what to say. He wished to keep any memory of Xigbar as far in the back of his mind as possible, but at the same time, he didn't want to completely blow off the person who just saved his life. Riku sat there, still frozen from the terror of the nightmare, trying to figure out what to say.

"With all due respect Master Aqua, it's just too personal."

"I understand." Aqua responded. "I won't press it further, but if you ever need a confidant, you can talk to me. It's the least I can do after you came and rescued me."

"Well, that's quite all right, but I already have a good confidant in Sora. He's stuck with me through everything." Riku said, smiling as the thought of Sora's goofy grin crossed his mind, only to quickly fade as the image of him dying in his arms resurfaced. He reminded himself again that it was only a dream, but could not stop a couple of tears from escaping as he tried to chase the image from his head.

"Are you sure you're ok?" Aqua asked, not at all blind to Riku's distress.

"I-i'm fine, just got something in my eye..." Riku answered, wiping his eyes with the back of his hand.

"Don't have to be ashamed of crying, kupo! I've seen plenty of grown men break down in my shop. It's just the fact that you're relieved!"

"Lea... Aqua... why is there a Moogle here?" Riku asked, startled by the appearance of the strange little creature.

"He's been trapped down here too. And he's been really generous, it's thanks to him that you've been able to recover. Bringing him back to the realm of Light was the least we could do in return."

XXXXXXXX

"He's scared, you know..." Lea said to Aqua quietly as their small group wandered away from the village. "Because of the upcoming war. He's afraid something is going to happen that will get his closest friends killed."

"That's a legitimate fear. Why would he be so afraid to talk about that?"

"Riku's proud. He won't let his fear or distress show that easily, thinks it's a show of weakness. What you saw out of him earlier was actually unusual. He obviously trusts you enough to let his guard down around you, even briefly."

Aqua studied Riku, noting the thick tension that hung around him almost constantly. He always stood at a stance, ready for battle or flight if needed. His weapon was always out. She initially thought he was like that because he was unaccustomed to the darkness, but Lea had just confirmed that he was always like this.

"He must have been through a lot to be like that..." She noted aloud.

"You've only scratched the surface. I think the only one who knows the full extent of his troubles is Sora, but I know he's been through some rough patches since I joined them."

"Don't say another word..." Aqua said warningly, feeling like Lea was about to breach a part of Riku's story that he had no business bringing up.

"You remember Braig, don't you?"

Aqua's face darkened.

"Don't remind me about him!" The man had leagued himself with Xehanort, meeting her in battle to buy the bastard time to bring his plans to fruition.

"His nobody was twice as sadistic. Glad he's at least out of the picture. He was the one who tried to rip Riku's heart out. I wouldn't be surprised if he was the one who raped him in Organization XIII's dungeon too."

XXXXXXXX

The sound of a sharp, resounding smack broke the silence, making Riku spin around, alarmed. Though he was relieved to find that there were no enemies in the immediate area, his relief quickly turned to chagrin when he saw Lea clutching a bloody nose, with a very angry Aqua turning to reprimand him. She had punched him

"Wha...what part of 'Don't say another word' did you not understand? That was a cruel and personal topic, and one that was not your's to discuss! Don't you ever think?"

"What did you say to her?" Riku exclaimed, turning to Lea. "I swear, Lea, if we lose an ally because you want to say insulting things to people, I will..."

"I wasn't even talking about her! Okay! I just thought she ought to know about who we've had to deal with, what they've done to us, to you!"

Riku froze in place, his face turning a bright shade of red, rage beginning to bubble under the surface.

"And just what did you tell her, Lea? Going around saying stuff that's not your business to discuss? You're lucky my strength is not at it's fullest right now, or I'd send you to oblivion!" His voice shook with anger and humiliation.

"Riku, it's not like that..."

"Don't talk to me!" Riku exclaimed, storming off into the distance. He was angry. He was beginning to wonder just how much of the world was going to learn of his darkest memory by the time the war started. That he had the last of his innocence stolen from him by one of Organization XIII's most sadistic members.

Xigbar liked to play cheap. Sora had nearly died in battle with him once because he spammed his attacks mercilessly. Riku's own first encounter with him had nearly gotten him a bullet crystal through the heart, had it not been for... something he couldn't even remember now.

Riku's most recent encounters with him were even worse. When he tried to escape from the dungeon in the World that Never Was, Xigbar was the one who caught him, breaking his leg to deter another escape attempt, and brutally raping him to break his spirit. The man had not had his fill after the incident though. The same day Sora and the others had come to rescue him, Xigbar had tried to murder him with a weapon that had become known as a Draining Blade, which was imbibed with dark magic that ate away a victims mana, energy, and ultimately their life force.

Sora had witnessed Xigbar stab him with the blade, and was forced into battle with him. Xigbar must have met a crushing defeat, because months later, he came back for Sora. Riku had followed them to an abandoned house in Hollow Bastion, where he saw Xigbar torturing him. It was too much to bear, and Riku had begged the man to take him in Sora's place. Xigbar used the opportunity to try and tear out Riku's heart, and would have succeeded if Sora did not kill Xigbar in a moment of protective fury.

Xigbar was gone, but not from Riku's memories. He kept having nightmares, and had become afraid of sleeping at night because of them, to the point where Yen Sid had to force him into an enchanted sleep on two occasions. There was a looming fear growing that he would lose the title of Master if this continued, so he tried to keep his thoughts concealed. He did not want to show any signs of weakness, not even to his friends.

End of Chapter 9


	10. Hearts that are Connected

Chapter 10

Riku and Lea remained distant for the remainder of the journey. They made it to the point of safe passage in a day of quiet, tense walking.

Riku had made a point of memorizing the key landmarks of the area, but had left a small token hidden away to make absolutely sure. The realm of Darkness might play tricks on him after all, so best to be safe.

Concealed in a hollow formed beneath the roots of one of the many old, gnarled trees in the area was a simple black stone with the Spirit Dream Eater sigil inscribed on it. It was something Heartless or prying eyes would easily overlook, but to Riku, it had meaning. It was the mark he wore on his back during the Mark of Mastery exam, when he unknowingly acted as a dream eater for Sora. He had adopted it as his personal insignia shortly afterwards, since he felt the symbol of a guardian spirit was more befitting of his current self, not the heartless insignia he used to carry.

"Here it is..." Riku said, pocketing the small stone after he retrieved it. He instructed all three of them to use their keyblades as he did to create a portal large enough to accommodate them. The Moogle, who was not armed in such a manner, instead clung onto Aqua's arm and channeled some of his mana into her. The familiar glow of light encircled all four of them, and soon they vanished, returning to the Realm of Light.

They immediately reappeared in Yen Sid's study, where Sora and the old wizard stood, as though expecting them.

"You're finally back!" Sora exclaimed, throwing himself at Riku and taking him in an embrace strong enough to knock the air out of Riku's lungs.

"Yes, Sora, we're all fine... now... do you mind... I can't... breathe like this!" Sora loosened his grip on his best friend and stood back to get a better look at him.

"But you look so pale though!" He exclaimed. "You finally managed to get some color back after that incident, and now you look like a ghost again!" After that remark, Riku stared indignantly at Lea, who had began to laugh, and turned back to Sora.

"It's a long story..." He told him, to quickly be interrupted by Yen Sid.

"You keep forgetting I have sensory abilities. I know exactly what happened to you. Now, if you don't have any objections, can I have a look? I want to see how well your arm is healing."

Riku gave no protest, quickly taking off his cloak and exposing his arm to Yen Sid. There was almost nothing left to examine, Aqua's ministrations had reduced the wound on Riku's arm to a thin red cut that was healing quickly. Yen Sid looked it over more closely though, making sure all traces of infection had cleared up. He looked up quickly, praising Aqua for her work.

"I see your knowledge of the healing arts has not been neglected, Aqua. You've done a really good job, you might have even prevented the wound from scarring, which is not an easy feat when infection plays a role."

"You would be surprised what kind of techniques I have learned in the time I spent there. I was hoping to one day be able to spread the knowledge on to those in the realm of Light."

"Yes, especially with the upcoming war on our hands, spreading a little knowledge of healing in wilderness situations would be a wise investment. But, we can look to that later. You all must be exhausted from your journey, go and get some rest. Sora, perhaps you could show Aqua where she'll be staying."

XXXXXXXX

Riku faced the spray of a warm shower, lost in his own thoughts. He had retired to his own room as soon as Yen Sid dismissed them, wanting to wash the grime of several days' travel away. Yet the water would not wash away the numerous scars Riku had received since the start of his journey. Each one of them was a memento of the battles he had fought to keep Sora safe.

He would gladly give up his own life protecting him, but sometimes he found himself wondering just what he would leave behind if it came to that. He knew Sora would be heartbroken and would probably not be far behind if Riku died, not even Donald, Goofy, or Kairi could fill the void.

He also knew that he would probably take his own life if he ever lost Sora. He had been through too much for him, and to just lose him after all that, it would feel like he endured all that pain and sorrow for nothing. Sora was his one grip on sanity, his smiling face, his forgiving and supportive nature, it could make Riku forget who he was for awhile, and just be a boy again. Nobody else had that effect on him.

He got out of the shower, dried himself, and dressed, grateful to finally be free of that hot, itchy cloak. Going back to his bedroom, he found that Sora had climbed in his bed and fallen asleep while he was bathing. He always did that after one of them had returned home from a mission, it was a sign of haw badly he missed Riku. He paid no mind to it, deciding to climb in himself. The journey had worn him out, now what he wanted most was a long, deep sleep. He didn't fear nightmares so much when Sora was around, knowing he'd be right there to remind him he was safe and alive if it did happen.

Sora rolled over and clutched Riku to himself like he was a teddy bear shortly after the older boy climbed in the bed. It normally annoyed him whenever Sora did such a thing, but this time, it had a soothing effect on his mind. That nightmare had been lingering in the back of his thoughts for some time now, so the boy's closeness served to confirm the knowledge that he was alive and well.

XXXXXXXX

Aqua was having difficulty with her own thoughts that night. She was grateful to be free of the realm of Darkness, as was the Moogle, who had taken up residence on the shelf of one of Yen Sid's wardrobes. The old wizard had offered him better accommodation, but the Moogle was content with a small but cozy space.

Aqua's thoughts kept drifting to those two boys who were apprentices of Yen Sid. Those two, who she had met as young children on the Destiny Islands just over a decade ago. The older boy, Riku, had been granted the power to use a Keyblade at a tender age. She had been right to believe that one Keyblade was enough between friends. Riku had endured unspeakable horrors, far too many for one who was still so young, and yet, the other boy, Sora, had kept his promise to her. He had stuck with Riku through it all, and had somehow earned the ability to wield a Keyblade of his own.

There was something unusual about Sora as well, something she couldn't explain. It was as though the moment she had seen him after all those years, his heart seemed to react with hers. It was a flash of intense recognition, a call of greeting, like someone she knew was telling her he was ok. She couldn't help but think of Ventus when it happened.

End of Chapter 10


	11. Nothing is Lost Forever

Chapter 11

"Sora. Sora?"

A girl's singsong voice broke through Sora's dream, pulling him out of sleep slightly. He looked up to see Kairi beaming down at him, and tried to sit up so he could see her better. Something was pinning him down, looking over, he had forgotten that he fell asleep in Riku's bed again last night, and rather than the older boy kicking him out, he had just decided to climb in with him, and was now curled up so most of his upper body covered his arm and shoulder. Sora removed himself from his friend's grip as gently as possible so he wouldn't disturb him.

"I take it Riku had only just come home from his own mission, didn't he?" Kairi asked him nonchalantly as the two of them wandered through the corridors of Yen Sid's tower, enjoying the brief respite from training they always got after missions. Kairi had been sent to Olympus Coliseum on her own training mission, and was actually expected back around this time. Worrying about Riku had made Sora completely forget about that.

"Even on the islands you'd sleep over at his house after one of you had come home from a long trip. I was never allowed to do that because my guardian didn't trust boys to be alone with me for a night. It's nice that Yen Sid can trust us with each other's company though, cuz I would like to have a sleepover!"

Sora froze. Just what did she mean? In his eyes, Kairi was pure and innocent, but she too was a teenager and could occasionally drop a suggestive joke or idea. He was sure she simply wanted to spend the night with him, but he never knew for sure. He knew from experience that being away from familiar surroundings could stir up that sort of frustration in a person.

"Wh-what do you mean?" Sora asked stupidly. Kairi playfully swatted his head in response.

"Get your mind out of the gutter, I just wanna have a sleepover, silly! You can bring Riku, Lea, and that new girl with if you're that uncomfortable with the idea!"

"New girl? You mean Master Aqua?"

"So that's what her name is. I ran into her when I was headed to see you. She's really nice and seems really smart!"

"I imagine so. She healed Riku after he got hurt on his mission."

"Wait, Riku got hurt? Is he all right now?" Kairi suddenly burst out, alarmed.

"He's fine, had a good-sized scratch on his arm and looked a little pale, but he kept telling me that was from lack of light."

"Thank goodness. I know Lea thought it was too soon to send Riku to such a dangerous place, and I kind of agreed with him, I've gotten so afraid of losing you two lately that I keep forgetting you are both more than capable of protecting yourselves."

XXXXXXXX

Riku woke up feeling like he had several rocks in his stomach. He stumbled out of bed, noting that Sora must have left for his own room during the night. Heading to the adjoining bathroom, he tried to revive himself by splashing cold water on his face. He was able to function somewhat better afterwards, but still felt the discomfort in his stomach.

Aqua was in the study talking with Yen Sid when he walked in. Both turned and greeted him, and quickly returned to their discussion. Judging from the snippets he overheard, they were talking about Ventus' location. Sora's role in the revival of the Keyblade wielders was rapidly approaching. Aqua was just asking what made Sora in particular so important to waking Ventus.

"Because Sora has been sheltering Ventus' heart for several years now. I could sense the familiarity of the second presence within him only recently. When the time comes, Sora will have to release Ven's heart, so he can return to his own body."

"WHAT?" Riku suddenly exclaimed. He had heard the last part of the conversation, and was very much aware of the danger. Sora had turned into a Heartless last time he released a heart that had taken shelter within him. Would Kairi be able to return him to normal again, like last time?

"Riku, you have nothing to fear!" Yen Sid said gently but firmly. "Remember that Kairi has the ability to transform him back, and she is more in control of her powers now than she was the first time Sora lost his heart."

"And it might just bring Roxas back too. Lea would love that..." Riku added, still doubtful. Suddenly he went white in the face, covering his mouth and running from the room. The stomach upset he was feeling had returned with a vengeance.

"Is he ok?" Yen Sid exclaimed, as Aqua looked on in disbelief. The Moogle entered the room almost as quickly as Riku ran out.

"The medicine he was given in the Dark Realm must not be completely out of his system, kupo. I should have warned him not to eat such rich fare yesterday, it probably irritated his stomach. Some ginger should clear it right up though!"

"Seems that the realm of Darkness produces quite a few accomplished healers..." Yen Sid said, with the dejected air of one who had been surpassed. Aqua covered her mouth to suppress a chuckle.

XXXXXXXX

Riku was curled up on his bed, clutching his stomach and heaving violently. He was convinced the attacks had completely emptied his stomach after the first half hour, but this sensation was worse, his stomach was contracting painfully and he was heaving so much he could barely find time to breathe properly.

There was a knock on his door, but Riku was too sick to answer. Aqua entered the room, holding a steaming mug in her hands, a look of pity on her face at the pathetic sight before her.

"Yen Sid made this for you, he said it should help." She said, setting the mug on his bedside table. Riku paid it no mind, instead trying his hardest not to gag at the spicy-sweet scent coming from the mug.

"Where's... Sora?" he finally managed to ask between gasps. He was beginning to worry, as the younger boy had not been seen all morning.

"Walking the grounds with Kairi- I think that's her name?" Aqua asked, Riku nodding. So Kairi had finally come back from her mission. "...And he's blissfully unaware that anything is wrong with you. Yen Sid insisted it be like that, seems he goes into panic mode if you or that girl get so much as a headache anymore. Come on, drink! It's just ginger tea." She added, noticing how Riku seemed to be recoiling at the very sight of the tea. He hesitantly sipped the tea, taking it more willingly after several minutes as the symptoms began to clear.

"What on earth triggered that attack anyway?" Riku thought out loud as he drained the mug.

"The Moogle suspects it was the medicine you were given in the Realm of Darkness. The stuff there is potent, but not exactly gentle. Which is why we learned about the use of herbs and other plants to ease the other effects. I didn't think they'd be so effective until I had to use some of those remedies on myself in hard times."

"Could be a good thing. I was afraid there wouldn't be enough potion or elixir available to treat an entire army, the knowledge could prevent a lot of casualties. Which, I confess, is one of my greatest fears. People I know, love or admire, any one of them could be gone at the end of this."

"It's a risk everyone is prepared to take, because they too have something precious they will protect at any cost. I know, since me and my comrades paid a pretty steep price to protect one another, but now a new generation is working to bring us back together, safely. You need to hold on to hope, and know that, even if all seems lost, it is not forever. If your heart remains connected to those precious to you, you'd find each other, even if it's in the next life."

Riku sat, still and quiet, as he worked out Aqua's words in his head. He then looked at her, a soft smile on his lips.

"Thank you." He said. "What you said just reminded me of a promise I had made to Sora once. I told him- even if something happened that separated us, I'd still find a way to return to him. I know I could work something out, I've seen it happen before."

End of Chapter 11.


	12. Fogberry

Chapter 12.

"I guess... having a sleepover isn't such a good idea..." Kairi said dejectedly. She had been wandering around the tower with Sora, trying to get the others to join in with her idea. She had only been met with polite refusal, or in Lea's case- full blown rejection. She now sat on the bed in her room, a bored expression on her face, while Sora poked around.

"There might be other things we could do..." Sora said.

"I thought about it, and I'm sure we'd still get the same responses. Aqua's too deep in her own thoughts, Lea thinks anything we come up with is childish- which I find hilarious since his two favorite pastimes are sleeping and eating ice cream, and Riku'd get bored too quickly, not to mention I don't think he's well enough right now. I heard what sounded like gagging when I passed his room earlier."

Sora bolted to full attention at that remark. "He got sick again?"

"Nothing to panic about." Kairi said quickly, sensing Sora's rising panic. "I brought my concerns up to Yen Sid, he said Riku was just having a bad reaction to some medicine he had been given in the Dark Realm. He'll be ok, but I don't think he'll be coming along when we set out to Castle Oblivion in a couple days..."

"It'd be for the better if that turns out to be the case. He'd probably flip out if he learned what I have to do on that mission."

Kairi began to fidget. Yen Sid had told her what her role in that mission would be- that there was a risk that Sora would lose his heart while retrieving Ventus and would need to be restored, like when he became a Heartless while reviving Kairi on that first journey. She was nervous, fearing that her powers might fail her when she needed them most. If she failed, she might never see Sora again, and Riku might never forgive her.

"Hey, hey!" Sora exclaimed, taking Kairi in a strong, comforting embrace. "Have a little faith in yourself!" He said, gently lifting her chin with the tips of his fingers. "Yen Sid said your powers of Heart are awoken by instinct, it should come naturally when the time is right. I'm not afraid..." He added, taking her in a soft, lingering kiss. "Because I have faith in you."

"Sora..." Kairi whispered as she nuzzled into his shoulder. "Thank you..."

XXXXXXXX

The two of them wound up having a small "sleepover" of their own on the Tower grounds, sharing stories and practicing spell casting, until the two finally collapsed, under the stars in the soft grass, exhausted. Kairi lay with her head resting on Sora's lap, completely content.

"It's a shame the others couldn't be convinced to partake in this beautiful night." Kairi said as Sora absentmindedly stroked her hair. "But at least we have this last fond memory to share before the war begins."

"Yes. And I know there will be many more to come afterward."

"Sora?"

"Hmm?"

"Can you... if we make it out of this war ok... can you... finally... be with me? Can you give me something to hold on for if all else seems hopeless?"

"I will."

Kairi smiled. "Then, it's settled. I know we can save ourselves for that moment,"

Sora bolted upright, a sudden and embarrassing recollection making it's way to the surface of his memory. He began to stammer.

"Uh... Kairi... about that... There's something you need to know if you have those sort of plans..."

XXXXXXXX

In the brief timing of an embarrassing confession, Sora had effectively killed any romance that had built up between him and Kairi. But he felt that if Kairi had _those _sort of plans with him in the future, she'd have to find out eventually. And now he saw a completely different side of her that he wasn't sure he liked. The first thing she did was slap him soundly across the face, than she stormed into the tower, Keyblade in hand, where she nearly crashed into a visibly surprised Lea.

"Whoa, whoa whoa! Where are you headed in such a hurry?" He asked her in disbelief.

"To find Riku, I'm going to castrate him!" She exclaimed as she stormed onward.

"What was that all about?" Lea asked Sora as he stumbled into the tower, clutching his face, a bruise forming where Kairi struck him.

"I just told her about the salve incident..." Sora answered bitterly.

"The WHAT?"

"Ugh. Remember how badly Riku's leg had been bruised after the Organization got ahold of him?"

"Yes, but what does that have to do with why Kairi's pissed right now?"

"Yen Sid made him a salve to help him manage the pain afterwards, and yet the fumes that stuff emitted had a strange effect on our minds. For some reason it drove me and Riku into... ugh, don't make me say it!"

Lea stared at Sora, stunned, but then his face contorted into a smile he was trying to suppress, and then he began to laugh. Sora's own face twisted into an expression of justified anger.

"I knew you and Riku were close, but, seriously? Which one of you topped?"

"That's none of your business, Lea..." Sora snarled.

"That's enough, Lea!" came Yen Sid's voice.

The commotion had woken most of those who dwelled in the tower, and now all of them were congregating in the small entrance hall. Riku was actually the one escorting Kairi, who's expression had softened, but was still reddened from the fit of anger. Riku had a bruise on his own face to match Sora's, meaning Kairi had gotten a swing at him, but had thankfully not castrated him as she had threatened to.

"Kairi and Riku have each told their own side of the story." Yen Sid began. "And it actually makes perfect sense. The only thing anyone truly understands about that fruit is that it makes a potent painkiller."

Yen Sid felt slightly annoyed at the room full of blank stares he received, but just shrugged it off and continued his explanation.

"It was merely an unfortunate but understandable occurrence, and one you need not get your feelings hurt over. The juice used in the salve I prepared all those months ago came from a strange fruit known in it's world as a Fogberry, which got it's name from the effects one would experience if they were exposed to the fumes emitted by the crushed or rotting fruit- a sudden impairment or 'fogging' of their mental capacities. It affects people differently depending on how strong of a dose they were exposed to- with minor doses causing aphrodisiac, recklessness or general mind-numbing effects, to full blown feelings of infallibility or delusion caused by a large dose. It was dangerous but necessary considering the circumstances at the time."

"And now it's something I'm never going to be able to live down..." muttered Sora as he eyed Lea, who was still snickering behind him.

XXXXXXXX

Luckily, Kairi was forgiving (though this time it took a great deal of persuasion from every neutral party there) and acted as though nothing out of the ordinary had happened between any of them.

Lea however, was a different matter. He spent most of his free time spying on Sora and Riku- trying to catch them "together", often being caught and told off by Yen Sid or one of them. Riku was beginning to wonder how someone could be so irritating, but would often overlook the thoughts when he remembered some of the pranks he used to pull on Sora. At least Lea didn't leave sea slugs under their pillows.

Riku was still concerned about Lea's behavior. He knew all too well where impulsiveness would get you in a life-or-death situation. He wanted Lea to have freedom in his decisions, but also feared it might turn him into the weak link that would make everything unravel.

Lea was kept under strict orders not to interrupt their plans with his nonsense, so they were at least given a reprieve from his rudeness during that time. As Aqua readjusted to living in the Realm of Light, they began to map out Castle Oblivion, forming plans for the multitude of Dusks that were guaranteed to be guarding it. It was one of Organization XIII's bases of operation after all. They were basically going to be walking right into a wasp's nest.

End of Chapter 12


	13. Castle Oblivion

Chapter 13.

Three nights after the incident had found the entire group departing from Yen Sid's tower with parting regards from the old wizard himself and those who would remain behind. The group consisted of Aqua, who would guide them, Sora and Kairi, who each had a vital role to play in the mission, and Riku and Lea, who would act as guardians while the mission was being completed.

Lea, as expected by this point, was not taking the mission as seriously as they would have preferred, instead using every opportunity to continue taunting Sora and Riku about their drug-induced interlude, and he was becoming increasingly snide in his comments. It had gotten to the point that both boys adamantly refused to eat their meals in his presence- Sora had an affinity for drinking white tea, and one of Lea's remarks was a snide question about whether it really was tea that Sora was drinking, causing Riku to choke on what he was eating and Lea to get a face full of the still scalding drink. Everyone was sure the purest Light magic would not cleanse the area of the profanities Lea sullied the air with as he shrieked them to the world afterwards.

It was no surprise that there was a foul mood all around when the group arrived at Castle Oblivion. Sora and Aqua were nervous, Kairi was apprehensive, and Riku and Lea were staring daggers at each other. The two had been stationed at different areas within the castle, so luckily they wouldn't be at risk of killing each other off before a Dusk or Nobody made an appearance. They had to hold their focus on the true threat after all.

XXXXXXXX

"Ok, as we decided, Lea will patrol the interior of the castle, and Riku will patrol the perimeter. If either of you spot anything suspicious, use the charms I handed out to alert us."

Aqua had crafted charms in the likeness of the wayfinders she, Terra, and Ventus used all those years ago. There were five of these, each a different color, and each bearing an insignia that represented the bearer- Sora had a yellow charm with his crown inscribed, Riku had a sea-green charm with the Dream Eater sigil, Kairi had a lavender colored charm with a Paopu fruit symbol, Lea had a red charm with a miniature chakram symbol, and Aqua had a charm modeled to look exactly like her original Wayfinder.

Each of them had a spell cast over them that would make each charm glow and grow hot if any one of them channeled their mana into it. Aqua had gotten the idea to create these while this mission was still in it's planning stage, knowing the group had been arguing over how they would communicate with each other while not alerting every Nobody in the vicinity to their presence. It was delicate magic, and very uncommon in modern practice, but it worked.

The group proceeded on, leaving Lea and Riku behind to patrol. Aqua led the way, visibly shaking in anticipation- it had been 10 years since she last laid eyes on Ventus, and now, hopefully, she would be there to see him awaken. Her sole regret was that Terra would not be there to partake in the reunion.

Sora seemed to figure out the way unassisted the further they delved through the stark white environment that was Castle Oblivion, as though, from deep within Sora's heart, Ventus knew he was close to his own body. Sora was becoming pale, but he continued on at a steady pace, not wanting Kairi to see his fear. Some horrible thought kept making it's way to the edge of Sora's mind- like something was going to go horribly wrong.

XXXXXXXX

Lea and Riku were boredly wandering around their posts. They had been expecting an alarming number of Dusks to appear the moment Castle Oblivion was breached, but the place was oddly quiet, not even animals nor insects broke the silence.

As was Lea's custom, he soon found himself seeking a small room or even a closet to duck into and take a nap. He had no luck, despite the fact that he was in a large castle with many unexplored rooms, and ultimately napped in the hall he was "patrolling," hidden behind one of the numerous colorless sculptures that did nothing to take away from that stark whiteness of the area.

Riku remained as diligent as ever, but soon found himself seeking out shaded areas to patrol in. The area outside the castle was constantly assaulted by sunlight, and it quickly became unbearably hot. He soon found himself in desperate need of water, yet could find no nearby streams or ponds to refill his water bottle with. He leaned against the wall under a shaded part of the castle, thinking bitterly of how comfortable everyone inside the castle must be, only to freeze in the middle of his thoughts. What was that sound?

XXXXXXXX

They had arrived in a huge, chamber-like room that hummed with magic. It was just as stark-white as the rest of the castle, yet there was something different about this room. Glowing energy traveled up the walls, illuminating everything inside. The only thing that adorned this room was a large thronelike chair, currently occupied by a sleeping boy.

"Ven!" Aqua rushed to the boy's side almost instantly, where she began to treat him with an almost maternal level of tenderness.

"I'm sorry, Ven, I know I made you wait so long for this..." she whispered as she stroked the boy's hair.

"Don't blame yourself, Aqua... I understand..." Sora said, suddenly putting a hand over his mouth.

"Sora?" Kairi asked.

"I didn't say that..." Sora said, alarmed.

"He knows..." Aqua said, rising from her position at Ven's side. "He know's it's time to return..."

"What do I have to do?" Sora asked.

"Kairi is not only here to bring you back, but to set Ven free too. You need to use her Keyblade."

Sora and Kairi stood there in disbelief. At no point in the planning stage did Yen Sid mention about using Kairi's Keyblade to release Ven's heart.

"Yen Sid told me everything. As a princess of Heart, it is only natural that Kairi would wield a Keyblade of Heart. It has the ability to release a person's Heart from it's confines. You just need to do the same thing you did to unlock Kairi's Heart during your first adventure."

Sora gulped, and nodded. He walked to Kairi and,looking deep into her eyes, held out a hand to receive her Keyblade.

"Everything is going to be fine, trust me..." He said as he took Destiny's Embrace from the girl's hands. Walking away so he would be a safe distance from the others, he aimed the Keyblade at his chest, and plunged it into his Heart.

Not one, but several orbs of light emerged from where the Keyblade pierced him, slowly floating away from where Sora stood and settling around him. One orb in particular floated to the sleeping form of Ventus and was absorbed into the boy's body. He began to stir as soon as the glow of his returning Heart faded.

"Sora? SORA! Where did you go?" Kairi screamed into the emptiness that Sora was standing in mere moments ago.

"It's ok, Kairi. He's nearby. I can sense him..." Said another voice. Kairi looked toward Ven, but he was just seated there, still dazed and half-asleep. But the voice belonged to a male, so it couldn't be Aqua. She then turned to where Sora had been, and spotted another vaguely familiar figure standing a few feet away, a boy who closely resembled Ventus, but was dressed in street clothes as opposed to Ven's fighting garb.

"It can't be... you're... Roxas!"

End of Chapter 13


	14. Roxas and Ventus

Chapter 14

"Roxas?" Kairi asked in disbelief. "You... you're not supposed to be here..."

Roxas just chuckled. "I guess I just don't disappear that easily. After all- I _am_ Sora in a way. Speaking of whom..." he turned to the side, revealing a slinking, shadowy creature that shrunk against the wall as it noticed there were others present. A Heartless, though this one had familiar characteristics.

"Sora?" Kairi asked apprehensively as she approached the Shadow. It's behavior was timid, but it seemed to relax more around Kairi, as though it knew her.

"You don't have to be afraid..." She said as she walked closer to the Shadow that was Sora's Heartless. "I won't let anyone here hurt you." She reached out a hand to the Shadow, who timidly took it. The creature's hand thrummed with dark power, and felt icy to the touch. It was as though the creature was only an imitation of life- no body, no memories, acting purely on instinct. Kairi felt like crying at the pathetic sight, seeing the one she loved most reduced to a mere Shadow.

"Sora, I don't remember what to do!" Kairi said with rising panic. "What if I can't bring you back?"

A sudden loud crash broke the silence. It seemed to come from outside the castle. Kairi found herself clinging to the creature in a protective embrace. A strong glow formed between the two immediately, and as soon as it faded, Sora was standing where the Shadow was.

"Sora!" Kairi exclaimed

"What on Earth was that?" Roxas asked, righting himself from the shock of the crash.

"Riku or Lea must have encountered a few Dusks... but why haven't our charms alerted us to that fact yet?" Aqua said.

"Probably caught them by surprise..." Sora said, turning to Kairi, he added "I'm ok, I did say you were going to do fine."

"Wh...where am I?" came the voice of Ventus. He had finally woken and recovered enough to speak, and was now trying to stand up from the throne-like chair he had slept in for the past 10 years. It came as no surprise that his gait was a bit wobbly.

"You're safe, Ven!" Aqua said, trying her hardest not to throw herself at the still-startled boy. Watching the two interact, Sora got a sudden embarrassing reminder of how he had behaved when Riku first woke after saving him from the enchanted sleep Organization XIII had put him under. Aqua had far more self-restraint, yet had more reason to hug the life out of Ventus. He had just awoken from a 10-year slumber after all.

"Sora?" Ven asked when he could finally get a break from the fuzzy reunion.

"Yes?" Sora walked toward the boy who's Heart had taken refuge within him for 10 years. He didn't feel any different.

"I have been waiting a long time to thank you in person." He said. "You saved me, I would have probably been snuffed from existence several times were it not for you..."

"D...don't mention it..." Sora answered.

Another crash rang across the castle, louder than the last one.

"I don't like the sound of those crashes..." Kairi said. "Who or whatever is making them is getting closer... we should probably leave before they find us."

"I just hope those other two are nearby and safe. We need to get them out of here too." Aqua said.

XXXXXXXX

No resistance met them as they left the castle, however, Lea got reprimanded fiercely for sleeping on the job, including getting a strong smack upside the head from Roxas. Lea was a combination of thrilled and annoyed to see the best friend of his own Nobody after that.

They checked the perimeter of the castle, calling Riku's name repeatedly, only to get no answer. It was a testament to how large Castle Oblivion actually was that it took them nearly an hour to travel half the perimeter. What they found near the rear of the castle made everyone's blood run cold. Sora choked and violently brought up the last thing he ate.

The area surrounding the rear of the castle was in ruins. The ground was heavily trampled and there was wreckage from both the castle and it's vegetation everywhere, as though something had gone on a rampage there. That was not what disturbed them the most though.

Riku's wayfinder charm lay cast aside and broken at the foot of a broken chunk of wall, as though Riku had tried to call for help but had his charm cast aside before he could complete the spell. The wall itself was splattered with an alarming amount of blood.

End of Chapter 14.

A.N. Short chapter, I know... but it will return to it's normal length was the story progresses. This is merely a cliffhanger.


	15. Dark Medicine

Chapter 15

_I am never going to employ Heartless for this kind of job again!_ Maleficent thought angrily as she raced through a Dark Corridor carrying a limp figure in her arms. She had ordered them to merely subdue the boy, but the damned creatures could not resist the opportunity to devour such a strong Heart. They would have killed him if she had arrived even a moment later, as it was they had nearly torn him apart.

Riku was barely recognizable under the layer of blood that covered his face and body. The boy had sustained severe injuries from the ambush, but thankfully he was still alive. Maleficent still didn't know what sort of interest Xehanort had in him, but she knew it had something to do with the upcoming war. She had been ordered along with the Heartless named Ansem to capture Riku and attempt to bring out his inner Darkness again, claiming that those two knew most about the boy and what was most likely to bring him back to their side.

The two were stationed in a different area this time, as Hollow Bastion had been reclaimed by the forces of Light. Xehanort had offered them one of the countless dwellings in the World that Never Was to complete their mission, but Maleficent felt somewhere less bleak would suit their needs better, and now they found themselves in the data copy of Twilight Town, which they discovered open and abandoned months ago.

"I warned you that using Heartless for live capture was pointless..." An annoyed Ansem said as he spied the limp and bloodied figure being lowered onto a bed. "They're brutal and brainless creatures. You're lucky they didn't kill him, or Xehanort would have your head!" He added.

"Enough with the lecture, I've figured that much out for myself!" Maleficent exclaimed bitterly, lashing out to Ansem with clawed fingers, which the Heartless nonchalantly brushed aside. "You could waste far less time using your abilities to tend to the boy!"

_Self-righteous hag! _Ansem thought as he turned to the injured boy lying on the bed. Riku was making a gurgling sound with each breath by this point, Ansem was certain the boy was drowning in his own blood, cutting his life shorter with each passing minute.

"Fine. Make yourself useful and get hot water and bandages, and be quick about it! Unless you'd like to present yourself as the replacement for whatever Xehanort has planned." Maleficent glared at him, then turned and walked out of the room in a huff, clearly not liking the fact that Ansem had just ordered her around like a servant.

From the initial examination alone, Ansem was able to discern that Riku's injuries were most likely caused by Lancers and Wide Bodies- two particularly vicious and hard to defeat types of Heartless. You did not want to cross paths with either unarmed, as Wide Bodies were slow but tough, capable of inflicting crushing injuries and severe burns if you were unlucky enough to cross one of it's flame-wielding brethren, and Lancers were fast and carried deadly lances- hence the name. One blow in the right area could leave a victim eviscerated, and Riku looked as though he had gotten stabbed straight through his lower body by one. The injuries would be difficult but not impossible to treat.

Maleficent returned with the supplies Ansem requested, placing them on the bedside table and returning to her usual demeanor of cold observation.

"Now leave..." Ansem said coldly. Maleficent looked at him in disbelief.

"I need to undress him to treat his injuries, how can we win him over if we won't even respect his privacy? Now _leave._" He said with an air of pure venom, causing the dark fairy to leave in a huff. Ansem immediately began to remove the bloodstained clothing from Riku's body, cleansing the stains from his bare skin as he did so. With the layer of dried blood gone, he was able to discern the injuries in greater detail.

The main source of the bleeding came from the gaping hole in Riku's abdomen and from a broken nose. Many of his bones were broken, suggesting he had taken a direct, crushing blow from a Wide Body. No matter, giving him a strong dose of High Potion while the broken bones were set and held in place by magic would set him right. The wound inflicted by the Lancer was a different matter. Even if he had healing magic, he knew it would not be enough to repair this, but he had no healing ability as a being of Darkness- Curaga was light magic.

"You're not going to like this..." Ansem said to the unconscious boy as he laid a hand on his hip, summoning a tendril of Darkness that began to probe directly into the wound, carefully manipulating it to seek out torn tissue and stitch it together. A simple injection of Potion would complete the procedure by speeding the healing process. As expected, Riku did not react well to the procedure- he arched his back and let out low pained moans through the entire ordeal.

Ansem had perfected the technique over the years, something he alone was capable of. He referred to it as Dark medicine, which, while more unpleasant than Curaga, was equally as effective. He'd used it to heal countless injured minions, and none had suffered complications from it as of yet. It was the first time he had performed this procedure on a Human boy though, and he didn't know if it would be as effective.

It was a good thing the place they were in was relatively deserted. The boy kept letting out loud, agonized screams as Ansem used a similar delicate procedure to set and repair the broken bones. He had woken twice during the ordeal, yet had not reacted to Ansem's presence in his usual suspicious manner. His mind was too fogged by pain most likely.

XXXXXXXX

"Water... please... so... thirsty..." Riku had began to plead for water several hours after the procedure had been completed. The boy had been asleep the whole time, and they only came in every so often to make sure there were no complications. Ansem hoped that he had not been pleading like this for too long, knowing any moment that made him unhappy could increase his suspicions, making the plan backfire. He turned to go fulfill the boy's request only to turn around and find Maleficent already standing in the doorway, holding a full glass in her hand.

"I overheard his pleading while I was on my way to the back room..." She said, smirking. "Couldn't keep the poor child waiting for too long, could we?" Now it was Ansem's turn to glare, not liking the way Maleficent was acting competitively when they were supposed to be working together to win Riku back to the Darkness. What was going through her mind?

"No, we shouldn't..." Ansem answered coldly, allowing the Dark fairy to pass.

"Please... I need... water..." Riku was tossing and turning in his sleep as he continued to plead for something to alleviate the overheated feeling he was experiencing- he had been sunburned during his patrolling at Castle Oblivion on top of the injuries he was recovering from, and the bandages and heavy blankets he was covered with did not help ease the heat generated by his burned skin.

"I have some right here, child..." Maleficent said with as much tenderness as she could muster, lifting his head and holding the glass to his lips. Riku drank it's contents greedily, letting out a sigh of relief as he drained the glass. His eyes fluttered open, the grateful look in them quickly turning to alarm when he realized it was not Sora, Kairi, or even Yen Sid he was looking at. He bolted upright, backing as far away from Maleficent as he could as he raised his hands over his face in a guarded position.

"Where am I? Why are YOU here?" Riku exclaimed in a sharp, commanding voice.

End of Chapter 15.


	16. The Strongest Will

Chapter 16

"You really shouldn't move around so quickly, or do you want that wound to open again?" Maleficent said with an air of arrogance, thinly veiled by tenderness. Her demeanor was exactly like Riku remembered.

"A wound you probably inflicted..." Riku answered venomously. Maleficent raised her hand, as though to strike him, but instead stroked his cheek in an almost maternal manner. Riku felt his stomach churn at the touch.

"No, child. The Heartless don't ally themselves with me anymore. They were acting on instinct, I _saved _you from them."

"Hmph!" Riku snorted in disbelief, crossing his arms over his chest. That sickening pet name, _Child._ He knew Maleficent wasn't the type to give mercy for nothing. There must be a catch.

"I'm not as gullible as I was when we first crossed paths, and I suspected something back then as well... _what's the catch?_"

"There is none... we just know you're more valuable alive than dead."

"We? There is someone else allied with you?"

"Yes, _boy._ And I must say, you're proving to be more feeble than you were when you had Darkness on your side. How can you expect to protect your comrades when you keep your strongest abilities sealed away?" Ansem stepped into the room, his expression a cold one that invaded his thoughts. Riku's eyes widened at the sight, and he nearly fell out of the bed in his effort to get away from him.

"Am I ever going to be free of you?" he exclaimed, remembering none-too-fondly how he had been pinned down by the Heartless during their last encounter. He had never been gentle to Riku, even when he was a willing protege. He was more than certain that he had some kind of dark scheme planned out for him this time as well.

"Highly doubtful..." Ansem said, crossing his arms over his chest, an action Riku had come to understand meant he would not stand for arguments. Riku had stopped obeying him long ago however, and had recovered a great deal of fight as well as health since he had been brought to... wherever he was.

"What? None of your long winded speeches about letting out my inner Darkness? No picking fights with me in an attempt to prove me wrong? Have you finally accepted that while you may never leave my life, you'll never hold sway over my Heart ever again! Let me go!" Maleficent had to hold him back as he struggled to get close enough to strike the man he had hated with every fiber of his being for nearly three years, yet the stabbing pain in his lower body soon stopped him, making him double over with a sharp groan.

"Don't think I've given up on you brat!" Ansem spat in distaste. "You're just in no shape to try anything with yet, but mark my words, the moment you recover, I will find a way to win you back to the Darkness. You're far too valuable to give up on..." He added as he walked out of the room, a dirty smirk forming on his face.

"You really shouldn't anger him so..." Maleficent said, taking a seat at the foot of the bed, the safest possible distance from Riku's fists- he was still really angry. "You know what will happen if you cross him too many times, and I really don't like seeing you hurt."

"Say what you will, but you know I don't buy that..." Riku answered coldly. He knew Ansem was the type to inflict pain to put an unruly disciple in their place- he had been subjected to it plenty of times when he was allied with him during that first adventure.

What he didn't buy was the other thing Maleficent said. If she hated seeing someone in pain, she had a strange way of showing it. She always stood there, cold and impassive, whenever he endured one of Ansem's punishments or whenever he was injured after a blunder or miscalculation.

"Oh, and one more thing. This entire hall is for your personal use- you're free to go wherever and do whatever you want as long as you stay within it's bounds, yet you are not to leave this room until you're fully recovered. I'm going to have to lock you in to make absolutely sure you don't try anything." She stood up and left the room, giving a short nod of parting as she closed the door behind her, locking it. The last sound made was the shattering of glass as an enraged Riku threw the empty water glass sitting on the nightstand across the room at the closed door.

XXXXXXXX

"But what could it mean?" Aqua asked. She had returned with the remainder of the group sent to Castle Oblivion, and was now engaged in a serious meeting with Yen Sid and the others, trying to piece together the strange happenings of that mission- The revival of Roxas, the explosions, the disappearance of Riku, and the broken Wayfinder found among the blood and wreckage.

Sora had been a wreck throughout the return journey, becoming violently ill, having nightmares, and frequently breaking down into sobbing fits. He was convinced Riku was dead, claiming nobody could survive after losing as much blood as was splattered among the wreckage, and that he could not reach him through their connection.

"I'm sure he's still alive, Sora..." Yen Sid repeated to him for the fifth or sixth time that day. "Remember, there was no body found at the site. What use does our enemy have with a corpse? Xehanort is after live vessels."

"Well, if he is alive, he's probably severely injured somewhere out there. We need to get to him, and soon!" Roxas interjected. Yen Sid held up a hand, silencing him.

"If they want him alive, they've probably tended to his injuries. I don't think time is that badly against us. Yes, we do need to find and rescue him, but, unlike the when Organization XIII tried to use him as bait to lure Sora to them, we have nothing to go on but the clues left at the site, and unfortunately, they don't reveal a lot..." Yen Sid said.

"It's obvious it was a Heartless attack..." Roxas added. "No Dusk I've ever encountered left markings on the ground like what we found. If I were to guess what it was, I'd wager it was a Wide Body, they tend to leave destruction in their wake."

"But what reason do Heartless have to kidnap someone?" Kairi asked. "They're usually content to steal a victim's Heart and move on..."

"I'd guess they were under orders..." Ventus interrupted. "Are there any individuals out there who have or had sway over them?"

Every face in the room darkened. Yen Sid looked genuinely worried. There were only four they knew of who could control Heartless- one of them had given up the ability long ago, one was not all that dangerous, but there were two others:

"Maleficent, and Ansem!" several voices exclaimed in unison.

"What business do those two have with him?" Mickey said angrily.

"I have several theories behind the matter, but all of them are rather grim." Yen Sid said. "It could be that they want him for the same reason so many forces of Darkness do- not many can wield Darkness without consequence the way Riku does, and they want to control that power. In the wrong hands, it could bring about devastating consequences."

"But Riku would never use his powers against us, he'd never betray us!" Sora yelled.

"I know he wouldn't, but there are ways for them to get him to use his abilities, against his will. Sora, listen to me. Riku has endured unspeakable traumas in the recent past. We all want to think he is strong enough to withstand whatever they have planned for him, but none of us have been through what he has. Even the strongest will can break under enough pressure."

End of Chapter 16.


	17. The Army Grows

Chapter 17.

_"Riku?"_

_"Go away..."_

_"Riku, it's only me..."_

_"Kodomorashi?" Riku exclaimed bolting upright, only to find himself somewhere between sleep and waking. He was aware of walking through the soothing waves composed of his childhood memories, to find Kodomorashi walking beside him._

_"Yes. I've been allowing my Heart to wander a bit. Don't fret, I made sure to keep a close enough distance to return to you if I found myself weakening. But I've made some rather unfortunate discoveries. This building is surrounded by a decent-sized Dark Barrier, and there are others present. One of them projects a very malevolent aura. Be on your guard, I think he means to harm you."_

_"Ansem. I figured that out on my own already. So, a Dark Barrier. That's how they intend to keep me locked up here. At least they're not suppressing my powers like Organization XIII did. I was able to speed the healing process a bit earlier. But why are they so interested in keeping me confined?"_

_"I couldn't figure that much out during my wandering. I think they're trying to get data from you, to make another Replica."_

_"Nothing personal, Kodomorashi, but I thought you failed as a vessel. Why would another replica be any different."_

_"Xemnas let something slip once... about an army of Replicas. To keep the Army of Light occupied until the final vessel was found. The project could not meet completion for... obvious reasons."_

_The reason Kodomorashi lived within Riku was because he no longer had a body of his own. Xigbar murdered him, for trying to steal Elixir that would have prolonged Riku's life enough to give his friends time to arrive and treat him. Riku had become sick with pneumonia thanks to the inhumane conditions present in Organization XIII's dungeon, and was deteriorating fast. Kodomorashi still didn't know what force drove his disembodied Heart to his Origin, but he figured it was the protective instinct he felt toward him when he was so vulnerable. Nonetheless, he lived on inside Riku's Heart, and actually felt more alive and free than he ever did in his own body._

_"An army?" Riku actually felt a grim sort of humor at the idea of several copies of him running loose on the battlefield- until he realized that it meant one of his friends could meet their end at "his" hands. He felt like a traitor._

_"Yes. I suspect thats the only reason I wasn't destroyed outright, though it was Xemnas' policy to put an end to anyone who was of no use to Organization XIII."_

_"Sounds like him..." Riku said bitterly, feeling a nasty twinge come from the scar on his right side. _

_Xemnas had tried to put an end to him and Sora personally after he deemed them no longer useful- he had been relying on the Keyblade Wielders to dispatch the Heartless, collecting Hearts for an artificial Kingdom Hearts. It wound up being destroyed, and after their refusal to go collect more Hearts for him to recreate it, Xemnas attacked them, and Riku had taken a rather severe blow from his Ethereal Blades. He was lucky the blade didn't pierce him, but it had knocked the wind out of him and caused a severe burn at the point of impact. Nobody present on the Island when they returned home had Yen Sid's skill with healing magic, and though they were able to heal the injury enough to lessen the pain, they couldn't completely reverse the damage. Riku bore a scar on his side ever since._

_"What other things could they possibly have planned?" He added._

XXXXXXXX

"He's making no progress, is he?" Roxas asked in concern.

"I'm afraid not. I'm beginning to wonder if this was part of the kidnapper's plan- To make the Hero of Light so emotionally unbalanced he'll prove to be more of a danger to himself and his allies. This is very grim, as he is very vital to the upcoming war."

Yen Sid had resumed Sora's psychological training with greater intensity ever since Riku had disappeared. Yet this time there was no improvement or effort on the boy's part- if anything, it was getting worse. He constantly lashed out at people and could be heard crying in his room at night after his sessions. It had become so bad that his physical health was beginning to deteriorate. He barely ate anything anymore and had to be put under enchantments simply to stay asleep at night.

Finding Riku had become a priority as a result, and Aqua and Ventus were constantly out seeking any kind of information on his whereabouts, yet bringing back no results. They were trying to get information on the missing Keyblade Wielder known as Terra as well, but only got a slight bit more luck- any who knew of him would just say they thought he had died, confirming that he was still under Xehanort's control and there was no known way of rescuing him.

"We've looked everywhere for Riku, yet have had no luck. There's no word on Maleficent or Ansem either. Those two seemed to vanish around the same time Riku did. It's almost certain those two are the kidnappers, yet I can sense nothing of them. I wonder if they're inhabiting some kind of alternate dimension or the Dreaming Worlds. I should have Sora revisit those worlds... if I can get him to remain stable long enough."

"What about the data copy of Twilight Town?" Roxas interjected.

"Not likely, since only Ansem the Wise and a select few others knew how to access it. I know Riku was one of those select few, and there's a chance they'd forced the information out of him, but I'd be able to sense him if he was so close..."

"Master Yen Sid! Come quick!" Aqua burst into the room, breathless and excited.

XXXXXXXX

"So you encountered these two in Hollow Bastion?" Yen Sid said, his gaze focused on two wary-looking figures, studying them closely. One, a youth who looked like he was in his late teens with medium-length blond hair, stood slouching against the wall in Yen Sid's study, a bored expression on his face. The other, a man of roughly Lea's age with long pink hair, stood silent yet eyed everything like a hawk.

"Yes, caught the kid taking out a large amount of dusks with water-based attacks. His skills are pretty impressive. Said he and his companion were seeking out a way to put an end to all Nobodies in hope that they might bring back their missing friends the way they returned. They seem very interested in our cause."

Yen Sid silenced Aqua with a wave of his hand and turned to address the two newcomers directly.

"Your timing in this matter is most fortunate. You both have my thanks. Now, what are your names?"

The blonde looked up, his expression changed to one of mild interest. He let of an air of one who didn't care about politeness or decorum as he spoke.

"I'm Myde, the other guy here is called Lumaria."

End of Chapter 17.

A.N. The army of Light grows with the addition of Demyx and Marluxia's human forms. But do they really mean well? Also, what do Ansem and Maleficent really want with Riku- is Kodomorashi's speculation correct? To be continued...


	18. Untruths

Chapter 18

Ansem was a pretty much invisible presence ever since he left the room that day, leaving Maleficent to look after Riku. Yet he still had a way of letting Riku know he would not leave him completely alone.

He liked to invade peoples minds, and no mental or migical barrier could keep him out for long. He seemed to make himself known when Riku was lost in his most private thoughts, a dark blot on his psyche looking on his troubles and fantasies with that same cold, condescending look. Sometimes he would taunt him mid thought, telling him that using the powers of Darkness could protect, enhance, and strengthen.

Riku could only guess that if Ansem could put things into his head, it should not be hard to take things out. He began to despair, remembering Kodomorashi's warning. His friends could be in grave danger right now, and he had no way of warning them. He couldn't even contact Sora through their connection, the Dark Barrier keeping him confined also seemed to keep any kind of magic or thoughts he projected confined as well.

_The amount of effort you put into your futile cries for help is laughable. It would be far easier and faster to see your friends again if you just figured out where your real strength lies. _

Riku spun around, shouting into nothingness, hoping his invisible antagonist would hear. "I will never give you or any of the forces of Darkness easy access to my body again! I won't endanger my friends like that!"

_Endanger? You're putting your friends in greater danger by being stubborn. I've told you several times before, Darkness will give you the strength you need to protect your friends._

"Never! I will protect those who matter... with my OWN strength!" Riku summoned Way to the Dawn and lashed out at thin air. Ansem immediately materialized in front of him, deflecting the incoming blow and sending Riku flying across the room, where he landed with a cry.

"Don't you get it?" Ansem said icily, summoning several tendrils of Darkness, pinning a struggling Riku to the wall by his neck using one. "You will never defeat me using your pathetic Light magic because we both know Light is fleeting and ethereal... while Darkness..." he used another tendril to land a sharp lash across Riku's stomach in emphasis "...is real, solid, and powerful." He released Riku from the choke-hold, who immediately was on his knees, clutching the fresh welt on his stomach and drawing several ragged, choking breaths.

But Ansem wasn't done. Riku had barely come out of the daze of the first assault before two more tendrils of Darkness had him suspended in midair by his wrists, a third one snaking it's way around his body, headed for his mouth. Riku struggled and gagged as the tendril plunged itself down his throat, silencing him as several more tendrils snaked their way over and around his body. Whether they were going to further restrain him or do something else Riku could not tell. Desperate tears ran down his face as he awaited whatever else Ansem had planned for him.

"I've tried to teach this lesson to you countless times for the past three years. Accept it, embrace it. We both know the only reason you became what you are today is because of the powers of Darkness. You owe it your life, and yet you turn from it." Riku cringed as one of the tendrils found its way over his heart and tried to burrow it's way into his skin, to be stopped in it's place by his own inner Light.

"You could find new strength, new abilities. You remember the way it felt to have control of such power. It was a great feeling, one you couldn't get enough of! Has the power of Light ever given you such pleasure before?" Yet another tendril had snaked it's way up Riku's leg, swiftly and painfully penetrating him. Riku let out a muffled cry and began to shudder as he felt the cold, throbbing power of the Darkness inside him. The bastard was cheating, using the information gathered from Riku's memories to make the tendril touch him in a way he liked. It was arousing him, and it made him feel completely unclean to know that it was.

"N-n-no! I-i-it's a-actually brought m-me s-s-so m-much m-m-more!" Riku struggled to get the words out clearly, no small feat considering there was a tendril down his throat hindering his ability to speak. "I-it's g-given m-me f-friends, and p-peace, and s-s-something to h-hold o-out f-for!"

"Is that so?" Ansem said coldly, sending a strong wave of energy through the tendrils. The sensory input sent Riku over the edge, and he came hard, a muffled, guttural cry escaping his lips, his body jerking involuntarily.

"B-bastard..." Riku spat as he came down from the forced climax.

"WHAT IS GOING ON IN HERE?" Maleficent had walked in to witness Riku at Ansem's mercy, and she was furious. Ansem had had his fill anyways, withdrawing the dark tendrils as Riku fell, writhing, to the floor. The Heartless stared coldly at the pathetic form lying at his feet, making one final statement before leaving the room.

"The Light has failed you then. It's pathetic powers couldn't spare the life of your friend."

Riku stiffened at the words.

"W-what?"

"The war has already begun, and your friend, Sora, was taken out pretty quickly, since you weren't there to protect him..."

"No... you're lying!" He tried to stand up and lash out at the man, but was still in shock from the recent assault and only fell back to the floor in a heap. Ansem stood up, his confidence renewed at the broken spirit before him, and turned and left. Maleficent was at his side instantly.

"D-don't touch me!" He exclaimed as Maleficent lifted and carried him out of the study. He was still in shock and unable to struggle, so he just allowed the dark fairy to move him back to his bedroom, setting him on the bed, where he instantly bolted upright and became violently ill. Maleficent did not even flinch, simply waving her wrist so that the mess vanished instantly.

"He was lying, it was just another of his mind games, Sora can't be gone, he can't be!" Riku muttered desperately. Maleficent just laid a hand on the boy's shoulder and spoke softly:

"I wish he was lying, Riku, but I'm afraid it is true- I saw it happen. Sora was killed by a Nobody in a moment of confusion. I know it's little comfort, but I can tell you that he went quickly after the lethal blow was dealt. He wasn't in any pain."

"No..." Riku's voice was defiant, but there was a waver of uncertainty this time.

"I'm dreadfully sorry, child..." Maleficent said, placing an object in Riku's hand. His heart sank when he saw what it was.

It was a broken chain with a silver crown hanging from it.

XXXXXXXX

Roxas ran through the halls of Yen Sid's tower as fast as his legs could carry him. He still couldn't believe what had just gone down, and knew there would be a world of problems if he didn't tell the old wizard as soon as he could.

He was ambushed while trying to get information on Riku in Twilight Town. By the last person he would expect to attack him.

"Master! Are you in there? Master!" Roxas pounded on the door of Yen Sid's study, which was answered after several moments by it's mildly startled owner.

"This is urgent, master!" Roxas exclaimed. "I think Xehanort is using replicas to slow us down. I was just ambushed by Sora... or at least it looked like Sora at first. He had most of Sora's memories too... however... someone had convinced him that we all were fakes!"

"Calm down Roxas, and tell me what you already figured out- slowly!"

"I was attacked by Sora while patrolling Twilight Town. I thought he had completely lost his mind at first, and tried to get him to snap out of it, but he was clearly out for the kill. I had no choice but to fight him, and I won... but here's what was really odd, Master..."

"What was it?"

"I know I cut him at least once during that battle... but he didn't shed a single drop of blood. If Xehanort is using replicas, he left out a vital detail- the replicas don't bleed!"

End of Chapter 18


	19. Breaking Point

Chapter 19

Ansem stared boredly down at the quiet yet composed figure standing before him. The boy was small for his age, the top of his head barely reaching Ansem's chest. Messy brown spikes made him appear taller, but he knew it was just a trick of the eyes.

"You understand why you're here, right?" Ansem asked.

"Yes. You're the only one that understands my need for power..." The boy replied in a soft, emotionless voice.

"That is correct. Power is the only way you can get your revenge... I can give you that. I feel your pain, your rage. What happened to you is too cruel for words."

"I'm all that's left..." The boy said, a spark of anger crossing his eyes.

"Yes. The rest of your friends were killed off. It was a brutal endeavor based on all accounts. Yet to make matters worse for you, their attackers went on to craft replicas of all your friends, to constantly remind you of what you must now live without."

"They're all a farce. They're not my real friends!"

"So you know what you need to do?" Ansem said.

"They all must die!" The boy said as he looked up, a cold, cruel smile on his face.

"Yes." Ansem affirmed, an equally cold smile forming on his own face. "And I will make it so you have the strength needed to carry out the deed. Come closer..."

The boy walked to where Ansem sat, to immediately be shrouded in the black and purple aura of Darkness. It absorbed into the boy's body yet did not alter his appearance in any way. The boy looked up when all was completed, shaking with anticipation.

"I can feel it, this feeling- it's like I can do anything now!"

"Yes! And now you are ready. Go, do what you must!" The boy turned and fled from the room at Ansem's dismissal. Another person walked into the room in the boy's wake, an old man with a cunning demeanor. A look of recognition and confusion crossed the mans face as he saw the boy, but he quickly regained composure.

"Was that... Sora?" The old man asked.

"Just one of the replicas." Ansem replied in his usual cold voice. "The seventh one of him in particular. So what may I ask brings you here, Master Xehanort?"

"You should very well know. I came because I heard no news from you for the past three weeks. What have you been up to?"

"Following orders. It's proving to be more of a challenge than any of us would have thought. The boy's stubborn, but at least I have been able to glean valuable data from his memories. You just saw one of the results leave this chamber."

"So this is part of your plan, isn't it. A replica army." Master Xehanort said.

"Yes. I was able to gather enough data to create 7 copies of 7 distinct individuals. It should be enough to keep the army of Light busy until the plan comes to completion."

"Clever, confusing the army of Light like that. They'd never be able to know friend from foe." Master Xehanort smiled. "Now, back to the matter of the plan. Just how far do you think it _is _from completion?"

XXXXXXXX

The boy sobbed bitterly as Maleficent tended to him, making sure he had not dislocated his shoulders from the way Ansem had him hanging, applying salve to the ugly welt on his stomach and bleeding wounds on his wrists, caused by the restraints. She wished she had been lying to him when she revealed that Sora was gone, but she had seen it happen firsthand- struck down by that blond-haired Nobody who deserted Organization XIII.

Maleficent was pretty sure the boy would cry himself to sleep, as it wasn't the first time she had seen him do so. Riku had always been emotionally unstable when it came to Sora, and Maleficent frequently acknowledged that the boy's friendship with Riku was a double-edged sword- Sora could be a great source of strength to him, or could tear his Heart to shreds. And now he was gone for good. There would be no coming back, not like last time.

_A very irate Ansem had sent Maleficent to Traverse Town, informing her that Riku had ran off without permission again and would most likely be found in that location. She knew the man secretly cursed himself for telling the boy about that world, as Riku began to make a habit of disappearing to that world in hope of finding the lost friends he constantly spoke of._

_She could see the air of relief around the boy when she finally spotted him, and was initially happy for him, knowing he had most likely found one of them. The happiness quickly turned to dismay when she saw the Heartless attack, with not Riku, but this strange boy as the victor. She had seen it, and she knew he had as well. Riku's friend was none other than that pesky Keyblade wielder they had been trying so hard to defeat! And he had the King's duo of cronies in tow. _

_The boy tried to convince Riku to come with them, but he was already gone by that point, unable to absorb the shock that his friend was the one they hunted and in need of a quiet place to clear his mind. Maleficent could see him, leaning against the wall in a hidden corner of the district, a confused expression on his face, mingled with something she couldn't place so easily. And she could also see the other boy. His behavior astounded her as soon as his friend vanished. He didn't look for him or even shout his name, but just shrugged and walked off, like he didn't even care._

_She could remember how startled the boy was when she made herself known to him, he had let out a yelp and jumped back as soon as she appeared, as though expecting punishment. Instead she just stood there with him, watching the other boy through a window._

_"You see? While you toiled away looking for him, he just went and replaced you with some new friends..."_

_Ansem wasn't as understanding. The boy was suspended in midair and subjected to a brutal beating the moment Ansem saw him. That was when Maleficent truly saw how much the day's events had affected him. This was not the first time Riku had been beaten for insubordination, but this was the first time he didn't bother to hold back his cries. He let out a sharp outcry as each lash landed, shredding his clothing and leaving bloody welts on his back. Of course, Ansem was being more brutal than usual this time, which probably accounted for some of the boy's reactions, but Riku didn't like to reveal the slightest hint of suffering or weakness to them. It was like he had lost the will to rebel._

_"Don't you think you're taking this too far? What good is he to us maimed or dead?" Maleficent exclaimed in panic as one lash caused blood to splatter on the walls._

_"Shut up!" Ansem shrieked in response._

_Ansem didn't relent until a puddle of blood had formed under Riku's limp body. The boy was still conscious, a forlorn look on his face. He had lost the strength to cry out or struggle halfway through the ordeal, yet Ansem purposefully fed him just enough mana to keep him awake through it. Maleficent ran forward and caught the boy the instant Ansem called off the magic binding him. _

_"Come on, let's get you out of here..." Maleficent said, trying to keep her voice emotionless, as she lifted the boy and carried him from the room, not caring that his blood was soaking into her robes while she did so._

_"Why are you doing this?" Riku asked in a weak, hoarse voice as Maleficent lowered him so he lay face down on the bed._

_"Even I know how far is too far. I'm dreadfully sorry, child." Maleficent answered, trying to assess the shredded skin on Riku's back. It took an evil even she couldn't comprehend to mutilate someone in punishment for simply finding a friend._

_"Why did he have to do this?" Tears had formed at the corner of the boy's eyes._

_"Save your strength...We both know Ansem doesn't need a reason... the sadist..."_

_"No..." Riku said. "Sora... why did he abandon us like this?"_

_"Hush, don't pay that boy any thought..." She honestly didn't know what force had driven the boy to act in that manner. Had the forces of Light brainwashed him into ignoring his friends? It would probably be for the best, since that boy was the one they sought to destroy. The sooner Riku forgot about him, the less it would hurt him when they finally finished the boy off._

She was wrong, she knew that now. Killing Sora would cause Riku the kind of heartbreak one would never recover from, the sort that completely snuffed out a persons Heart. He was probably already dying.

End of Chapter 19.


	20. A Change of Heart

Chapter 20

Ansem returned to the building he was currently dwelling in to find Maleficent sitting beside an unconscious Riku. The sight of the prone, sleeping figure before him rekindled the feeling of impatient rage he had experienced earlier. He practically roared at Maleficent as he entered the room.

"It is not even midday yet! Why is the boy sleeping?"

Maleficent gave the Heartless a cold look as she responded.

"You can thank yourself for that. You tore away most of the boy's mana during that... session... last night. Don't expect him to wake for several hours unless you give him Ether, and I know you wouldn't waste something like that on him."

Ansem scoffed. "The boy attacked me. I had to take measures to subdue him."

Maleficent spun on the spot, an expression of protective rage on her face. It was an unusual look for her.

"I know what I saw last night, and it did not look like an ordinary restraint attempt. You sodomized the boy with your Dark tendrils! That was low, even for you! I don't know what sort of plan you and Xehanort have cooked up, but I don't think violating that child was part of it!"

"Since when has Riku's well being meant anything to you?" Ansem asked coldly.

Maleficent froze, knowing she was about to reveal something about herself that would get her labelled as "weak," but decided this was something she didn't care about as she began to confess.

"Since I first saw potential in him. Yes, it goes that far back. Need I remind you that I had been left with the job of looking after him while you were off planning whatever dark schemes your ambition led you on. The only attention you ever gave him was when you inflicted those cruel punishments on him, so of course you would not know how much he could grow on you!"

Maleficent paused, as though to catch her breath, and spoke again.

"Before long, I began to see him as my own son..."

"You've gone soft, Maleficent..." Ansem said, a cold smirk forming on his face. "So why did you choose to join me this time if you seem to hate me so much?"

"I joined to protect Riku from your draconian methods. I obviously didn't do good enough, since you still hurt him. But I won't let you lay your hands on him again!"

Ansem began to laugh, a cold, jeering laugh that erased any feeling of peace from the area.

"Whatever you say! But I strongly doubt you'll be able to protect him from his fate. Once he lets the Darkness back in, and trust me, he will... his Heart will belong to Xehanort. Our mission was to prepare Riku as a suitable Dark Vessel, since Sora obviously can't be used anymore."

XXXXXXXX

_Riku was trapped in Hollow Bastion again, watching helplessly as Xigbar beat Sora within an inch of his life. He couldn't stand it, and was soon pleading with Xigbar to take him in Sora's place. Xigbar complied, and began to brutally molest him as Sora began to scream at their attacker, begging him to leave him alone._

_Somehow Sora managed to free himself from his bonds, summoning his Keyblade and approaching Xigbar, ready to attack. Unfortunately Xigbar noticed and had summoned his own weapon, sending a bullet crystal through Sora's heart before the boy had a chance to react, as Riku watched helplessly from the background, still trapped in his own bindings._

_Sora fell dead at Xigbar's feet, and the Nobody viciously kicked his body aside and returned to Riku, taking him roughly by the arm, shaking him._

_"So, where were we?"_

"LEAVE ME ALONE!" Riku shrieked as he came back to awareness, immediately noticing that Maleficent had been trying to wake him.

"Easy, child, I mean you no harm..." Maleficent said as quietly as she could. "I'm here to set you free!"

"W-what?" Riku asked, unsure if he was still dreaming or not.

"You're in danger, you have to get out of here!"

"Danger?"

"Ansem. He intends to convert you, by force if necessary, so you can be one of Xehanort's vessels. I'm not going to let that happen!"

"W-wait, just a minute! I thought you and Ansem were on the same side! What's going on here?" Riku asked, confused.

"Me? Side with someone who cheats and takes extreme measures to gain power? Hmph, I'd rather work toward my goals, there's far more satisfaction in that!"

Riku was wide awake by this point and scrambling around for what few possessions he had with him, when he noticed the gleam of silver just under the bed. Bending down, he scooped up the crown necklace that had fallen to the floor while he slept, feeling the fresh pang of grief that was still so close as he clutched it in his hand.

"Sora, forgive me. I'll do everything I can in your absence..." he whispered as he held the pendant against his chest, over his heart.

Maleficent led him to the courtyard of the building, where she lowered the barrier and summoned a Dark Corridor, obviously the way she intended him to escape.

"That portal should lead you to Hollow Bastion. From there, you should be able to find safe passage to whatever world you see fit."

"Maleficent... I never thought I'd ever say this to you... but... thanks, for everything."

"Not a problem, child."

Riku turned to enter the Dark Corridor, but was interrupted by one final remark.

"Riku. I know I've said this before, but I really do mean it. You're like a son to me, and I really did want what was best for you. But I guess I was wrong in what I thought was best. I know what it is now. You must let your Heart lead you to it."

End of Chapter 20.


	21. Interrogation

A.N: Trigger warning- character suicide in this chapter.

Chapter 21

Riku wasn't handling the grief as well as he would've hoped. He regularly broke down when confronted with a person, place or object that reminded him of Sora. Nightmares now plagued the boy nightly- images of Sora dying in various, horrible ways as he looked on helplessly, often causing him to wake up shaking, a shout of rage or grief waiting on his lips.

He didn't know he had done it yet, but his thoughts and behavior were causing him to change in the way his captors desired. He was allowing Darkness back in again by constantly dwelling on his troubled thoughts and avoiding people and places that would trigger memories, not knowing those places held the knowledge that would set things right again.

Sora was still alive, unconscious at the present, but his heart continued to beat and he still drew breath as Myde rushed back to Yen Sid's tower with the boy in his arms. Sora had let his guard down around another replica- this one having the appearance of Riku. The replica had attacked quickly, subduing the boy with a poison attack, only to be quickly struck out of commission by others. The replica was now sedated and slung over Lumaria's back, since one of them had the idea of getting information from the replicas.

Yen Sid took no time for formalities when the small group arrived, laying Sora directly on the ground and ordering Myde to bring him a vial of panacea from their supplies. He had Lumaria lock the replica in one of the spare rooms, warning him not to take his eye off of him as he turned his attention to Sora. The boy was pale and shaking, but Yen Sid looked relieved as he completed the brief exam, grateful the boy wouldn't require a stronger antidote to set him right.

Sora's eyes shot open and he bolted upright with a look of pure disgust on his face the instant Yen Sid dosed him with the panacea- he choked, sputtered and let out a curse.

"AUGH! That stuff tastes RANCID! How on earth did Riku let you dose him with that bile for three days? I think I'm going to throw up from just one dose!" Yen Sid began to laugh, completely forgetting the seriousness of the situation in the humor of Sora's reaction.

"I think it was in his best interests that he was asleep through most of the doses, but I understand your distress. Panacea's not the most pleasant of potions, but it works!"

"And why did I need a dose of that stuff to begin with?" Sora said sourly, crossing his arms over his chest in a defiant manner. Yen Sid's expression became more serious.

"The war has began, and I should warn everyone not to let their guard down, not even for a moment. It seems that the enemy has crafted replicas in the likeness of several of our allies. Sightings have confirmed likenesses of you, Riku and Mickey so far, but the odds are pretty high that there are others. Lumaria has managed to capture one of them and we intend to interrogate him. Maybe Xehanort let something slip to them."

"Wait... you mean torture?!" Sora exclaimed in disbelief.

"Not if it isn't necessary." Yen Sid answered. "I prefer not to use those sort of methods, and would only use them in extreme cases. But I think these replicas would willingly talk if we approached the matter... delicately."

XXXXXXXX

The replica was awake and putting up a massive fight. Lumaria could hear shouting amid the sound of crashing and breaking objects. He was challenging anyone who walked within earshot. Yen Sid approached the door, showing slight alarm at the noise coming from within. He ignored the looks of shocked disbelief coming from Sora, Myde and Lumaria and opened the door.

An enraged Riku replica shot out of the room like a bullet, only to be stopped in his tracks by Yen Sid's tall, intimidating form. The look of contempt quickly changed to one of terror, and the replica cowered in his presence.

"Riku, can we talk?" Yen Sid stated matter-of-factly as he walked in and shut the door behind him.

The replica began to calm down in Yen Sid's presence, though he still acted frightened around him. The fact that he was showing even a slightly trusting demeanor around him seemed to suggest that Yen Sid had not been copied, and the replica knew he was standing before the original.

"Master... why? Why are you showing hospitality to those impostors?" The replica exclaimed wildly.

"Impostors?" Yen Sid asked, putting on an air of one who was confused.

"Yes. Don't you know? I'm the only one that's left! Everyone else... Sora, Kairi, Mickey, all the others... they're gone! Those others... they're fake! They've been made to mock me and the fact that I'm all alone!" The replica's eyes shined with tears, his voice quivering as he spoke.

"Who told you that?" Yen Sid asked.

"I saw it with my own eyes!" The replica shrieked. "Cut down, like firewood! They weren't given a chance!"

"Riku..." Yen Sid said, trying to act in a comforting manner, but still trying to get to the point. "There's something I need to show you..." He drew a knife from his robes and, taking the replicas hand in his own, drew the edge swiftly across both their palms. Yen Sid remained impassive, but the replica let out a yelp as the blade cut him.

"You've been deceived, you poor boy..." Yen Sid said as he cast cure over the bleeding cut on his own hand. The replica, however, looked at his own hand with growing shock and horror as the cut gave no blood. "The reason you can't bleed is because you have a doll's body. Whoever convinced you that you were alone in this world lied to you. Your friends are all still alive and still safe, and I know that your own origin still lives on out there somewhere. You're not alone!"

The replica continued to look at the clean cut on his hand, and suddenly a soft sob broke the silence. He was crying.

"Is everything... I know... a lie?" he asked between sobs, suddenly seizing the knife that Yen Sid abandoned on a table. He turned it toward his heart.

"Wait! There's no need to do this! Things can be done to set everything right!" Yen Sid exclaimed, but he was too late. The replica, unable to cope with the new information, had plunged the knife into his own heart, ending his life. He was gone before his body hit the ground. Yen Sid lowered his head in regret, certain that his own words had driven the replica to suicide.

Sora and the others had rushed into the room shortly after, led in by the commotion.

"Is he..." Sora began, quickly silenced by Yen Sid's solemn nod.

"He couldn't cope with the knowledge that he had been deceived. He took his own life." The old wizard said sadly.

XXXXXXXX

They couldn't just leave the replica's body in the chambers, so the group as a whole decided to bury him on the castle grounds. Yen Sid remained near the simple grave well into the night, lost in his own musings.

It had been a long time since Yen Sid had parted ways with his old comrades. Eraqus was long gone and Xehanort had abandoned the way of Light. He had been giving his former comrade a lot of thought in recent months however. The Xehanort he knew was long gone at this point, he knew, but the man's actions would still cause him shock after Yen Sid had been convinced he knew everything of how he behaved.

He couldn't believe that Xehanort would go so far as to completely destroy the emotions of his own followers. Yet he had used the emotions of several replicas and real people to deceive them into following him, giving no thought to future consequences. Yen Sid had witnessed one of those consequences in action that day as one of the followers Xehanort tricked was driven to suicide when he learned the truth.

"What on earth is your motivation, my old comrade?" Yen Sid asked nothing in particular. "There has to be more to this than possessing a weapon..."

XXXXXXXX

"Ansem! What business brings you here now? I hope it's to inform me that my final vessel is ready!"

"Hardly..." Ansem replied coldly, brutally shoving a bound and bruised figure before Xehanort. It was Maleficent.

"This witch has confessed to aiding in the escape of the prisoner. But that's not the sole reason I have brought her before you today. It seems she has something she wishes to say!" Ansem roughly lifted the dark fairy to a standing position. "So what is it you have to say, hag?"

Maleficent looked Xehanort in the eyes with a look of cold defiance as she spoke.

"I wish to offer myself up as a vessel in the boy's place!"

End of Chapter 21.


	22. Reprieve and Release

Chapter 22.

She saw him for the first time- the old man with the dark ambition. His face was currently twisted in a look of contempt as he admonished Ansem for allowing his _preferred _vessel to slip out of their grasp. Ansem himself wore a look of thinly-concealed rage, and Maleficent knew it was only a matter of time before he took his aggressions out. She felt grateful knowing that Riku wasn't there to be the target of the sadistic man's rage.

She had borne the brunt of Ansem's temper as soon as he learned of Riku's escape, which was why she was covered in bruises right now. However, she made her plea before the beatings even began, so he had purposefully spared her serious injury so she could still be a suitable vessel if Xehanort accepted the offer.

The old man had risen from his seat after he finished giving Ansem admonishment, circling around Maleficent and studying her intently. She hated the feel of the man's piercing gaze upon her, it made her feel like an animal being appraised for slaughter.

"It's lucky for both of you that she is in top physical condition..." Xehanort said as he continued to study Maleficent. "Or valuable time would've been wasted trying to relocate Sora or Riku. Shame though, she doesn't have as much potential with Darkness as either of those children had..." Maleficent shot Xehanort a filthy look and snarled at him, not liking the way he sneered at her abilities. "She'll do. Might as well get started at once, we've wasted enough time trying to procure my preferred vessel."

Ansem shoved Maleficent to her knees, facing Xehanort directly. The man was still sneering as he summoned his Keyblade. Maleficent just looked defiantly at him, though in reality, her heart was pounding in terrified anticipation.

_So it all ends here. _She thought as Xehanort called forth a fragment of his Heart and shot it at her. _Riku, you and your friends have to defeat Xehanort. It doesn't matter whether he's allied with Darkness or Light- this man is bad news. Everything as we know it will end if his ambition succeeds._

Then pure blackness engulfed her as her body absorbed Xehanort's Heart.

XXXXXXXX

_"Riku, don't you remember me?"_

_Fate had afforded to give Riku one peaceful dream to break the several nights of horrible nightmares. His mind was now invaded with images of the strange dark-haired girl he had encountered in Sora's dream. A glimmer of faint recognition flashed at the edge of Riku's mind, but he just had no idea where he had encountered her before the journey into Sora's dream._

_"Who are you?" He asked her._

_The girl began to cry._

_"No! Please don't!" He pleaded as he ran to her side, scooping her up in his arms and cradling her gently. "Don't cry! I'm sorry if I offended you..." The girl just gripped the sleeves of Riku's tunic and nuzzled her face into the fabric._

_"I can't even remember who I am..." She whispered. "All I know is I fell for you when I lived... You treated me with so much kindness despite what I did to Sora..."_

_Riku's face clouded into a look of confusion. "I don't understand. What did you do to Sora?"_

_She began to cry again as she stammered out her confession. "I held onto pieces of his memories, and I was too afraid to let them go!"_

_"Hey, hey! Easy! Don't beat yourself up! Sora got his memories back, he's..." Riku froze in the middle of his words. He was about to tell this strange girl that Sora was ok when in fact he was not. Sora was gone, and he couldn't bring himself to admit it to himself. Now it was his turn to start crying._

_"Are you ok?" The girl asked, looking into Riku's face intently._

_"I-im fine!" he stammered, wiping his eyes on his arm. The girl just continued to look at him and suddenly closed the distance between the two of them, taking him in a deep kiss._

_"You look like you've been holding a lot in..." She said as she released him. Riku held the girl closer to him in response. She was now splayed on top of him, one knee between his legs. Suddenly he let out a sharp gasp. He did not realize how much this girl's presence was turning him on until he felt her thigh brush against his arousal. Holding a lot in indeed, he thought as the girl shifted her position, causing her to brush against him repeatedly, making him harder with each movement. He had to stop his hand, which he noticed was creeping upward to cup the girl's breast. He was too late to hide his feelings, as the girl suddenly spoke._

_"What are you thinking about, Riku?" Her voice had taken on a sultry cadence, her face was flushed. The way she said his name was music to his ears._

_"Did I fall for you too? When you lived?" His own voice was thick with lust, and he had failed to halt his wandering hand, which was now gently massaging the girl's breast. The girl held a hand to her mouth to stifle a moan, but Riku just pulled it back down with his free hand._

_"Don't hold back, you'll only hurt yourself. Besides, you sound cute when you make those sounds..."_

_"Rikuuu...please..." she pleaded with him, and he noticed she was trying to wriggle out of her cloak. He moved his hand so she could have room to do so, and she slipped out of it quickly._

_The girl had nothing on save the pants and boots that came with the Organization cloak underneath, and Riku stared at her in deep appreciation of her beautiful yet delicate form. His hands were back on her quickly, tracing every detail of her, as she shuddered in ecstasy, her hands weaving into his hair, pulling on it lightly. _

_He halted his hands when they grazed the waistband of her pants, wondering if she would allow him to continue, and was quickly answered with a needy moan as she bucked into his hands. Her own hands were out of his hair and struggling to unbutton the garment. She slipped out of them with a little more struggle than removing her cloak, and now was lying on the sand in nothing but a pair of black panties, panting in anticipation._

_Riku lifted the girl into another gentle kiss, distracting her as he slipped his hand beneath the soft fabric, gently exploring the most secret areas of her body. She broke the kiss with a heady moan and bucked even harder into his hand, loving the sensations his fingers created._

_"How about this? Does this feel good?" Riku asked as he slipped two fingers inside her. The girl responded with a shrill cry of pleasure._

_"M-M-MORE!" The girl exclaimed as he worked on her, clearly wanting more than his hands. Her reactions were sending Riku dangerously close to release himself, without any assistance. He wanted her just as much as she wanted him, and he wasn't about to deny her. He quickly disrobed and positioned himself between her legs. Not wanting to keep her waiting any longer, he slid himself in as gently as possible so he wouldn't hurt her. She instantly let out a shriek of pure ecstasy and clamped tightly around him. _

_"R-RIKU!" She screamed his name repeatedly as he thrust into her, meeting him in time with each movement, bringing each of them closer to climax, and they came together, the girl screaming Riku's name and Riku letting out a shout of "Gaia!" as they both collapsed on the sand, warming in the sun and the afterglow._

_Riku continued to lie on the sand, now fully clothed, long after the girl left his side, and allowed his mind to clear, very much aware that he was dreaming, but wondering why he had that sort of dream- with a girl he didn't know the identity of._

_"I'd say the most likely explanation would be you wanted to let off some steam after all the stress you've endured in the recent past..."_

_Riku jumped upright at the voice, startled to spot Kodomorashi seated on the trunk of the paopu tree, mere feet away from where he and that girl were. Just how long had he been sitting there?_

_"So... who's the girl?" He asked with a mischievous look in his eye._

End of Chapter 22.

A.N. If you didn't figure it out, the girl Riku dreamed about was Xion. RikuShi is my personal favorite het pairing in the Kingdom Hearts fandom, and I desperately wanted those two to have a moment together, but I felt the only way i could make it work was in a dream. I thought it would make for a somewhat fluffy moment if Xion imprinted herself in Riku's memories somewhere and showed up when he was most in need of relief from pain, stress, or grief.


	23. Near and Dear to Us

Chapter 23

"No... nooo... it can't be true, it just can't be!" Sora exclaimed as he sank to the ground in despair.

Roxas had quickly dispatched the Dusk that arrived after it delivered it's message, enraged at what it implied. It showed up in the middle of a magic training session to inform all those present that Xehanort had procured all 13 of his dark vessels and was now awaiting their side of the clash.

"So he did it..." Yen Sid said, his own voice clouded by barely concealed emotion. "He managed to get all 13 vessels. He's ready to make his move."

"That must have been what Riku was kidnapped for..." Sora said, his voice shaking. "They wanted to try to make him their final vessel. And it looks like..." He slammed his fist to the floor and let out a great, heaving sob. "...they succeeded. Riku's gone. We'll never get him back!"

"Sora..." Kairi was at a loss for words. She too felt grief that they most likely lost one of her best friends to Darkness, but watching her beloved struggle with his own grief was making the pain worse. She hesitantly placed a hand on his shoulder. Sora seemed dead to the world and made no motion that he knew of her presence.

"What of the guardians of light? Terra and Riku now belong to Xehanort, we're short two guardians!" Aqua exclaimed

"No, we're not... It is truly fortunate that Lea and Roxas are on our side. With you, Ven, Sora, Kairi, and Mickey, that makes 7 keyblade wielders in total." Yen Sid responded. "We too are ready to meet them. We must meet them on his terms, or Xehanort will refuse to meet us in battle and continue to threaten the worlds."

"BUT WHAT ABOUT RIKU?!" Sora bellowed, jumping up and looking at the entire group angrily. "AND TERRA? AND THAT ISA GUY LEA CONTINUES TO GO ON ABOUT? I'M NOT GOING TO GO OUT THERE AND KILL OFF OUR ALLIES BECAUSE THAT BASTARD WANTS TO POSSESS THEM!"

"Sora!" Yen Sid said in a firm voice. "You need to calm down!"

"HOW CAN I CALM DOWN WHEN YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT KILLING OUR FRIENDS LIKE THEY MEANT NOTHING AT ALL!"

"Sora... I know you're hurt, but you need to listen to him!" Mickey exclaimed. "It may not be too late to save them!"

Sora sank back to the floor, the same defeated expression on his face as before.

"But how do we know that? None of you have been in that black abyss I was trapped in before. I never would have made it out of there on my own. And they're all been possessed on top of that. It's like being a prisoner in your own body, we'd never be able to get close enough to rescue them without Xehanort taking over and attacking. It's too late for them!" He stormed out of the room, slamming the door behind him.

"He still doesn't have his temper under control..." Yen Sid sighed.

"Don't mind that, Master. I'll go talk to him..." Mickey said, turning to leave the room himself.

XXXXXXXX

Mickey and Kairi quickly made their way toward Sora's room after Yen Sid dismissed them, a feeling of foreboding quickly passing over them both. They felt like something would go horribly wrong if they didn't talk to him soon.

They were horrified to discover their suspicions were correct, as a truly awful sight met them as they reached Sora's room.

His door was locked, however they were able to break it down quickly due to Riku having to do the same thing once before, meaning the frame was weakened. Inside, they saw Sora, grey in the face and struggling as he hung from the rafters, a makeshift rope made from bed sheets around his neck.

"Get help, QUICK!" Kairi exclaimed as she ran to his side, lifting him so that the rope no longer strangled him. She summoned her Keyblade and cast Fire on the rope, burning it loose. She caught him as he fell, choking and struggling to catch his breath. Tears ran down his face and he was shaking violently. He was frightened after the near death experience.

"Shhh, easy, it's ok, you're ok!" Tears ran down Kairi's own face as she comforted the boy in her arms, humming the same lullaby she comforted Riku with when he was so sick after the Organization had imprisoned him. The memories that surfaced as she hummed the melody made the tears flow even harder, knowing that she might never see the last boy she sang that lullaby to again, and that she had almost lost the boy she hummed it to now.

Yen Sid ran into the room, closely followed by Mickey, and was at Sora's side instantly, lifting him from Kairi's arms and laying him on the bed. He frowned at the bruises that were forming around his neck from where the rope was tightest. He carefully turned the boy's head, making sure he had not broken his neck, and finally laid a hand on his forehead, summoning a mass of soft blue light. Sora fell asleep quickly, and Kairi, still so frightened after what she had witnessed, laid her head on his chest and sobbed bitterly.

"You... don't you ever try to leave me like that again!" She said angrily, though her actions took on a more protective and comforting demeanor. She had taken his hand and was stroking it gently, as she looked into his face, as though trying to find out how much pain he really was in. She gently kissed his forehead before leaving his side.

"This... is more grave than any of us thought. The strain of the upcoming battle is proving to be more than Sora can handle. I never thought he would go so far as to try and take his own life!" Yen Sid said urgently. "He needs time to come to grips and recover, but time is something we just don't have..."

"Then we'll just have to distract Xehanort until Sora recovers." Mickey said defiantly.

"Are you sure about this?" Yen Sid asked.

"Without a doubt!" Mickey began, though his resolve wavered slightly as he asked "How much time do you think he'll need?"

"I'm not sure..." Yen Sid said, deep in thought. "It depends strongly on him, and I don't know how far gone he is. But, maybe I could alter time in his dreams and help him recover that way. Yes, it should hopefully only take a couple days. But, I'm begging you, please try to stay alive. We've lost so many who are near and dear to us already!" Yen Sid said as he turned back to the sleeping boy before him.

End of Chapter 23.


	24. The Keyblade Graveyard

Chapter 24

_"The best thing you can do for your friend now is have faith in his strength. It hasn't failed him before..."_

_Images flashed before Sora's eyes, some familiar, many he'd never seen before. He saw Riku, no, a specter of Riku standing between Ansem Seeker of Darkness and his friends, shouting something inaudible. Then he was standing in the stark white halls of Castle Oblivion, facing Ansem in battle and coming out victorious. He then stood in the wake of Memory's Skyscraper in The World that Never Was, losing to Roxas in a moment of weakness, only to emerge victorious after giving up his appearance to instead bear the visage of Ansem, though his Heart remained intact and uncorrupted._

_"Just how much has he been through while I wasn't around?" Sora asked, looking on in shock as Riku fought a black Nightmare in the presence of his own sleeping form in the World that Never was._

_"I don't think any of us know for sure... though he often admitted he would give up his own life if it would protect you." Yen Sid materialized in Sora's dream, standing before him. "Sora, why would you disregard his sacrifice like that?"_

_"I couldn't bear it..." Sora hung his head in shame. "I was beginning to think he wouldn't suffer so much if I wasn't around to cause him pain."_

_Yen Sid looked at him intently and shook his head. "No, I think his suffering would've increased tenfold if you were gone. He loves you, Sora, more than life itself, that's why he's prepared to die to protect you. I think the heartbreak alone would kill him if he lost you..."_

_"But he's gone now..." Sora said in despair._

_"You can still save him, Sora. I think if you defeat Xehanort's main body, his Heart would die in each vessel as well. It reminds me so much of your and Riku's connection. You depend so much on each other, and I imagine each of Xehanort's vessels must rely on the main body to function in a similar way..."_

_"I hope you're right..." Sora said, lifting his head, his resolve strengthened. "So I might as well go and see if it's possible. I hope I can still save him..."_

_"Just have faith in the strength of his Heart. Riku has a strong will, someone like him would not be snuffed out so easily..."_

XXXXXXXX

"How did I end up here?" Riku asked himself.

He had been travelling between worlds for days on end, not spending too much time in any one place as memories of Sora would haunt him and ultimately drive him to move on, and now he found himself wandering aimlessly through a world he'd never seen before. The land was full of rocky terrain, and no life seemed to flourish here. Everything was dark, cold, and eerily silent, a dead landscape littered with thousands upon thousands of...

"Keyblades..." Riku exclaimed. "These were people's Keyblades!"

He had to quickly jump behind a formation after several Dark Corridors opened at various parts of the landscape, black-clad people emerging from them and congregating near a particularly tall rock formation. Looking up, a chill of pure hatred crawled down Riku's spine as he beheld the man who was responsible for everything he and his friends had to endure in these past years.

At the peak of the formation stood Xehanort, even from the distance Riku could see his charismatic behavior. It disgusted him, how someone so warped could move and act with such confidence.

"The time has come." Xehanort began, his voice echoing across the desolate landscape. "Today is the day where the tyranny of Light is put to an end, and a true balance is restored. The day where Kingdom Hearts and it's counterpart- the X-blade are able to coexist once more!"

"Your ambition ends here, Xehanort!" A familiar voice exclaimed, followed closely by Roxas running into the clearing, the others close behind him. He looked furious, and Riku's heart ached with understanding. Xehanort's ambition had hurt Roxas pretty severely too. He wasn't even supposed to exist, only coming into being because Sora had become a Heartless.

Roxas ceased to exist after he returned to Sora with his memories, and Riku briefly wondered how he was alive and standing there with the other warriors of Light. Riku guessed his hunch about Sora awakening Ven was right- he must have revived Roxas in the process.

"Roxas... Aqua... Ventus... Kairi... Mickey... Lea... Donald and Goofy?" Riku's heart sank as he noticed Sora's absence from the group.

The old man began to laugh at Roxas' display of aggression.

"Such an adorable display! But do you honestly think that a group of children have a chance against the 13 seekers of Darkness?"

"SHUT UP!" Roxas roared and charged at the group. And so the battle began, each of the warriors of Light engaged with one or more of the warriors of Darkness.

Riku quietly sneaked around the battle, intending to try and take out some of the seekers of Darkness from the back, where they wouldn't notice him.

He never made it that far, instead painfully bumping into another person. As Riku looked up at the face of his newest obstacle, annoyance quickly turned to complete terror. The right side of his chest throbbed with pain and horrible memories of being violated in various ways chased themselves around his mind.

"No! It can't be! You're supposed to be dead!" He exclaimed as he looked into the face of Xigbar.

End of Chapter 24

A.N. Just thought I'd point out that it is not in fact Xigbar, but Braig that Riku has just encountered, and Braig will make that quite clear shortly, but for now, Riku has no idea. What plan does Braig have for Riku- will Riku be able to end this rivalry once and for all?


	25. Reinforcements Arrive

Chapter 25

Riku doubled over in pain as numerous memories resurfaced in excruciatingly vivid detail, and in a split second he had found himself teleported from the desolate landscape of abandoned Keyblades to the small cold room in Organization XIII's dungeon, with Xigbar gloatingly leaning over and forcing him into a restrained position. Riku screamed in agony as the man forcefully entered him, inflicting severe damage to both his body and mind.

Then he was back in the present, shaking as the pain and horror of the flashback ebbed from his memory. He fell to his knees as the right side of his chest exploded with stabbing pain, focused primarily below his ribs, where Xigbar's knife pierced him.

"Dead? Get your facts straight! It'd take more than a mere battle to kill me!" The man said, staring in disbelief at the cowering form before him.

"I know what happened that night, Xigbar! Sora said you sank like a stone after he struck you!" Riku exclaimed, backing away from the man, clutching at his heart and shuddering as he imagined the man slicing his chest open and plunging his hand in.

"My name is Braig!" The man spat in distaste. "And I can't believe they allowed a coward like you in the army of Light!"

"Coward?" Riku snarled. "After all I went through because of you!?"

"What are you talking about?" Braig exclaimed in disbelief. "I've never seen you before in my life!"

"Don't play dumb with me! You've hurt me and my friends more times than I can count!"

"I've never laid a finger on you!" Braig said with an air of self-righteousness- Though I wouldn't be surprised if that would be all it took to take down a sniveling coward like you! Make your choice... are you gonna fight, or keep trying to run away?"

"I- I AM NOT A COWARD!" Riku roared, summoning his Keyblade and charging at the man, thoughts of pure hatred coursing through his mind. Braig quickly summoned his own weapons and blocked Riku's attack, only to be left wide open for a surprise counter- Riku had struck him hard in the abdomen with the hand guard of his Keyblade. Braig doubled over briefly, quickly righting himself and leaping a distance away.

Riku had barely a second to react before a flurry of bullet crystals assaulted him from all directions. He was able to reflect most of them using Dark Barrier, but a few got through, leaving deep gouges in his skin where they grazed him.

The barrier spell had caused the bullet crystals that didn't strike their target to be deflected, flying right back at Braig. He wasn't able to block them, making the majority of them lodge themselves deeply in his body. None of them pierced anything vital however, meaning Braig was still able to fight, and was now driven mad by the pain.

Riku slowly worked his way closer to his opponent, deflecting most of Braig's attacks, taking damage from others. The man was beginning to get winded, his attacks getting slower and less powerful, and soon Riku was able to breach the man's defenses.

"I said... I am not... a coward..." Riku said as he struck the final blow. Braig fell to the ground, dead, no longer a threat to Riku or any of the remaining warriors of Light.

Riku fell to the ground with a groan as the memories began to resurface again. Now he found himself back in the abandoned dwelling in Hollow Bastion, watching helplessly as Xigbar tortured Sora and stripped him naked, with the intent of violating him in the same manner he had violated Riku during his confinement. He watched as Sora tried to fight against Xigbar's attempts, he listened to his own voice plead with Xigbar to take him in his best friend's place.

Then he was back in the present, the sound of a primal scream of pain and rage echoing across the landscape, which he soon realized was coming from him.

XXXXXXXX

Roxas had charged at Xehanort with intent to kill, but had been stopped in his tracks by another Nobody, the cold-hearted berserker known as Saix. He was having trouble, constantly having to dodge his attacks while being unable to get any blows in on his side. Lea had watched Roxas' struggle helplessly for several minutes before jumping into the fray himself.

Aqua and Ven were surrounded, every point of escape closely guarded by black-cloaked Nobodies. Ven tried to sneak past one, only to be quickly thrown back to the center of the circle by one. His hood came down, and Ven stared at his face in horror.

"TERRA!" He shrieked, running at the Nobody full speed, only to be stopped in his tracks by Aqua.

"That's not the Terra we know, Ven!" she said sadly.

"Donald, Goofy, stay close to Kairi!" Mickey exclaimed as he jumped into a group of charging Dusks and Nobodies, quickly getting lost among them.

"YOUR MAJESTY!" Donald bellowed, ready to run to the King's rescue, when Goofy stopped him.

"We have to do what he says, Donald..." Goofy said sadly.

"But there's so many of them!" Kairi exclaimed. "What are we going to do about this?!"

Suddenly the sound of a whining cry broke through the sounds of battle, distracting both ally and adversary. Looking toward the horizon, they quickly noticed the source of the sound.

Dream Eaters, hundreds of them, led by a bright blue Meow Wow, were charging at the swarm of Nobodies as fast as they could, quickly taking out several.

"We're here to help too, kupo!" A familiar voice said to Aqua, who turned to see a massive gathering of Moogles, led by the same one she had rescued from the Realm of Darkness.

"We're here too, and we brought help!" Myde exclaimed- behind him Lumaria led a group of familiar faces from all over the Worlds. Kairi could see Cloud, Tifa, Leon, and Yuffie from Hollow Bastion among them.

Xehanort looked on the sudden turn of the tides with distaste. In a moment of blind rage, he summoned a mass of concentrated dark magic and began to give it form.

Meanwhile, a fair distance away, Sora arrived on the battlefield, where he heard the final echoes of an agonized scream. Turning toward the source, he stepped forward and tried to seek it out.

End of Chapter 25.


	26. Sora vs Riku

Chapter 26.

Riku cast Curaga over his wounds, not wanting to give any other opponents a blood trail to follow.

He crawled to the edge of a clearing, to be immediately horrified by what he saw. The clearing led to a vast, deep ravine. The place closely resembled a swarming insect's nest, with the hundreds or even thousands of people within in frantic battle. He knew his friends were in that ravine somewhere- some of them might have already perished.

Flashbacks continued to crash over Riku like waves, many of them surfacing memories of the physical traumas he endured throughout his journey as well as the emotional, causing him to double over and scream or cry. The sight of the battle before him now triggered many of the memories to return- all in horribly vivid clarity.

"I can't deal with this anymore! It's too much!" He screamed to the heavens as another memory resurfaced. He had been able to make out the glow of Ethereal Blades in the distance- his right side flared with stabbing pain as he relived that moment where Xemnas struck him. He had taken that blow for Sora, who was gone now. For a brief instant, he wondered if everything he'd been through was really worth it.

"Riku?" A hauntingly familiar voice broke through the turmoil, and Riku looked in the direction of it's owner. His eyes widened in disbelief when he saw who it was.

"No... it can't be... Sora?"

XXXXXXXX

Lea and Roxas fought furiously against Saix, but it was becoming increasingly apparent that Roxas was starting to wear down. After a flurry of blows, he was forced to halt and catch his breath, leaning against a rock formation for support.

Saix saw the opportunity and took it. Leaping into the air, he slashed his weapon downward with a powerful swing, smashing everything in the vicinity to pieces. Roxas was thrown backwards by the impact, where he landed, not moving, in the rubble.

"ROXAS!" Lea charged at Saix with newfound energy, using both his Keyblade and Fire abilities to try to breach Saix's defenses. He was getting nowhere.

XXXXXXXX

Kairi, Donald, and Goofy were quickly reunited with Mickey thanks to the aid of the Dream Eaters, who had quickly fought their way through the endless swarm of dusks. A Meowjesty quickly took a shine to Kairi, and now fought alongside her as a guardian. Nearby, Myde and Lumaria led groups of citizens from other Worlds on their own separate attacks.

Aqua and Ventus were surrounded by a formation of Moogles, who had used their magic to generate an aura shield around them. Ventus looked on helplessly as a possessed Terra tried to breach these defenses. The Moogles were warned not to allow this one individual to come to harm, but they were forced to go on the offensive to keep Terra and his companions at bay. He was starting to look beaten up.

"What if they kill him, Aqua?" Ventus asked wildly.

"There are some things worse than death, Ven..." Aqua replied sadly, watching as her former teammate continued his frantic assault on the Moogles. Terra would never have allowed them to come to harm.

XXXXXXXX

"I can't believe you're here, Sora! Is it really you? I thought you died!"

The look on Sora's face quickly turned from curiosity to rage in a matter of seconds. Summoning Kingdom Key, he swung it savagely at Riku, who quickly blocked it.

"Sora... wait... it's me! What are you doing?" Riku asked wildly.

"You're not Riku!" Sora snarled, trying continuously to get through Riku's defenses.

"That's madness Sora! I'm standing right here in front of you, clear as day! Why would you say that?" Riku asked as he continued to block Sora's attacks.

"LIAR!" Sora shrieked, working harder to get through Riku's defenses. "The real Riku would know I can't die that easily!" He continued to strike a series of desperate blows at Riku, who just continued to block them, not having the heart to fight back and hurt his friend- if that really was Sora.

_I probably have no choice but to fight back... _Riku thought as Sora's assaults increased in strength and frequency, making it more apparent to Riku that whether Sora was real or not, he was fighting with intent to kill. _If this is the real Sora... how can I convince him that it's me... before it's too late!_

It was at that moment that Riku miscalculated his maneuvers, leaving him open to a swift strike across the back. The teeth of the Keyblade tore through everything- clothing, skin, bone, and sinew, and Riku could only stand there, stunned, as Sora dismissed his weapon and stood upright, relieved and at the moment unaware of what had actually happened.

"You win... Sora..."

Sora's moment of relief was cut short by the sound of a harsh gurgling cough, followed closely by the sound of liquid splattering on the ground. He turned around in horror to see that Riku had coughed up a substantial amount of blood and was beginning to fall to his knees.

_Something's not right here... replicas... don't bleed! Oh no! _Sora was at Riku's side instantly, cactching him before he hit the ground. Sora could feel blood beginning to soak through both his and Riku's clothing as he cradled him.

"Oh, Riku! I'm sorry, I'm so sorry!" Sora sobbed frantically, burying his face in Riku's shirt. The older boy tried to lift his hand to stroke the younger's hair, only to find that it wouldn't move, instead hanging limply at his side.

"Shhhh... I know Sora, I know... what they've done... to all of us. It's okay... I understand... Sora... listen to me... no... matter what happens... you... have to... stay strong..."

"No! No, don't talk like that! You're gonna be ok! We'll get you patched up... and we can go back home together! Please, Riku, don't leave me!" Sora sobbed even harder , gripping the hem of Riku's shirt as the older boy made a soft sound almost like he was humming.

"I'm... just... glad... you're... safe..." Riku was barely able to get the words out before his body went still in Sora's arms.

End of Chapter 26


	27. A Troubled Past, A Bitter Clash

Chapter 27.

No sign of life came from Riku after that last utterance. Sora tried repeatedly to revive him, but knew it was already too late. Despair washed over Sora like a wave as he held Riku's body close to him and wept bitterly.

"I wish I had followed my Heart when it was practically screaming the truth to me..." Sora sobbed as he brushed a lock of silver hair from Riku's face. He looked peaceful, the beginnings of a smile gracing the pale, still visage. "You needed me... and I killed you... I'm so sorry..."

A loud blast broke Sora's concentration. A flash of purple light erupted over the horizon. Sora couldn't make out the source of it from his position. He gently laid Riku on the ground and stood up to get a better look.

Grief quickly turned to anger as he witnessed Xehanort attacking ally and opponent indiscriminately, shooting orbs of concentrated Dark magic in all directions.

_You soulless Bastard! Do you even care about your own followers? _Sora thought. _I have to put an end to this... once and for all! I won't allow anyone else to die!_

XXXXXXXX

The old man didn't care who got hurt or killed in the process of weeding out his prize. All the necessary pieces of the X-Blade were assembled, all that was needed now was the clash of Light and Darkness. He could practically feel the weight of the coveted weapon in his hands.

"How many more, Xehanort?"

The old man turned around, a twisted smile forming on his face when he saw who his challenger was.

"How many more have to die!" Sora seethed. "Eraqus... Riku... all those Nobodies you killed off so indiscriminately... those who I don't know about..."

Xehanort began to laugh, a cold, jeering laugh equally as piercing as Ansem's or Xemnas.

"Necessary sacrifices... though for many of them, Death would be merciful. That fool Eraqus- so frightened of the Darkness that he could never come to terms with the fact that Darkness was around him and inside him. It tore him apart in the end... So I had Terra help him along..."

"How can you justify murder!" Sora seethed.

"How many times do I have to tell you? Death was mercy to these individuals! I've seen all their minds- they would all rather die than face the life they came from..."

"No... Riku too?"

"Oh yes. I know for a fact that he didn't reveal everything about himself to you. He always told that same story to appease you- he wanted to broaden his horizons, become stronger, felt like island life was suffocating him... sound familiar? It was a lie!"

"No... why would he lie to me?"

"He thought the truth would break your Heart. Riku was an only child- you knew that much... but the reason why he never even got a chance at having siblings is because his mother died giving birth to him! And rather than love him as a memento of his late wife... Riku's father held a grudge- from that first day. He named him Riku because that's all he'd ever view him as... earth to walk on and kick aside!"

Sora clutched his Keyblade so hard it turned his knuckles white.

"As he grew older, the abuse became more harsh. Riku soon became obsessed with becoming stronger- so he could protect both himself and his dearest friends from his father's wrath. He encountered Terra soon after, and for the first time, Riku saw a glimmer of hope in his sad existence. He tried to summon his own Keyblade every day- from the day he inherited the power. For nine years, his efforts were fruitless, and he abandoned the effort, wondering if his encounter with Terra was in fact a dream. Meanwhile, his desire to leave the islands became an obsession as his father's abuse continued, and he soon brought up the idea of building a raft. You and Kairi were very supportive of the idea, as you were both at an age of curiosity, and therefore didn't question it."

"He could have just told the truth. Why does he allow himself to suffer on his own like this?" Sora was repeating this phrase to himself over and over, becoming increasingly enraged at what Xehanort was revealing.

"You remember the night of the storm? That was when Riku finally managed to summon Kingdom Key. He was at home, quietly preparing for the following day's journey, when his father came home, drunk and angry. He began to savagely attack Riku- who couldn't stand it anymore. He somehow found himself blocking his father's blows with a weapon he had never seen before, and he subconsciously used his Dark Aura to stun him. In a moment of desperation- Riku had opened his Heart to Darkness, and Ansem took advantage of that, quickly seducing him to go with him. Riku agreed, feeling that a life in Darkness couldn't possibly be as bad as a life with his father. You know what happened after that..."

"I never thought it was that bad..." Sora muttered.

"Don't you get it? Riku would still be at his father's mercy if it wasn't for the powers of Darkness! Do you really think he would've blindly followed you back to the Destiny Islands and his father at the end of all this? He was reluctant to go with after you two defeated Xemnas, only agreeing in the end because he knew you would be there!"

"No..."

"What?"

"He wouldn't need to go back there... he had a family with the Light. Any one of them would have gladly taken him in. Yen Sid viewed him as a son, Mickey viewed him as a brother. And he's my best friend. If I only knew... I would've protected him, like he protected me all those times... But for now... I will do everything in my power to make sure no other Hearts succumb to Darkness and hurt more people!" Sora rushed at Xehanort and swung his Keyblade at him with as much strength as he could summon. Xehanort blocked the attack with his own Keyblade, and a a wave of power erupted from both Keyblades the moment the two met.

The smoke generated by the wave settled slowly, revealing the end result of the clash. A crack formed in Xehanort's Keyblade, and it soon spread across the entire weapon, causing it to shatter in it's wielder's hand. Sora's Keyblade disappeared, in it's place was a massive weapon- two Keyblades intersected to form an X, a massive blade emerging from the intersection.

"Is this..." Sora began.

"The X-Blade!" Xehanort exclaimed. "It's happened! With this, I can finally reawaken Kingdom Hearts and gain control over the worlds of both Light and Darkness!"

"You're not gonna gain control over another thing!" Sora roared, charging at Xehanort and plunging the X-blade directly into his heart.

It happened almost at once. Xehanort died the moment the blade pierced his heart. The empty shell of his body began to draw in something from the surrounding area. Sora realized that it was drawing in the shattered fragments of Xehanort's heart. The X-Blade began to shake violently and grow hot in Sora's hand, causing him to drop it. It shattered into many pieces the instant it struck the ground, each fragment vanishing in a flash of blinding Light or suffocating Darkness. Sora's Keyblade sat in it's place, untouched.

A massive orb of unstable energy had formed around Xehanort's body. The act of fragmenting his Heart had rendered it unstable, and Sora knew something was going to happen very soon- before he would have a chance to escape.

"I guess I'll see you soon... Riku..." Sora said, closing his eyes calmly as the orb of energy exploded, engulfing everything in it's path.

End of Chapter 27


	28. Aftermath

Chapter 28

It happened quickly. In one instant, the landscape was engulfed in a flash of blinding light, and everything became eerily silent as both ally and opponent looked on. As the light died down, Kairi saw with horror that everything within yards of the source had vanished, as though it had been blown cleanly off the face of the earth, and she knew.

"Sora..." Kairi began to weep. "You were in that clash, I know it was you... please be ok!"

XXXXXXXX

Something bizarre happened to Saix the instant the flash of light engulfed the battlefield. He seemed to freeze mid-attack and collapse. Lea could hear a strong _whoosh _sound come from him as it happened. Suddenly Lea was forced to back away, Keyblade drawn, as Saix began to rise.

"Lea? Is that you?" Saix asked in a hesitant voice.

Lea walked closer to the other man, still trying to keep a safe distance in case Saix was playing tricks on him. As the air began to clear, Lea noticed that there was something unusual about Saix's eyes. As he knew him- Saix had these eerie looking amber colored eyes, but the man standing before him had emerald colored ones.

"Isa?" Lea began.

The sound of a soft moan distracted both men. Lea looked in the direction of the sound and ran toward the source with a cry of alarm.

"Roxas!" Lea exclaimed as he beheld the youth lying impaled among the rubble. Lea worked quickly to free him from the worst of it, but had to leave several of the other stone spikes in place, as they were piercing vital areas.

"Lea..." Roxas muttered as the other man cradled him gently.

"Easy, save your strength..." Lea said, voice shaking. "We'll get you taken care of..."

Isa looked on this display with a mixture of apprehension and jealousy. Lea had never spoken to him with this much tenderness.

"Lea, is there anything I can do?" He asked.

"Isa..."

"Don't hesitate, the boy looks like he's hurt pretty badly. Are there any medics or healers in your party?"

"I know of three personally. Look for a mouse who answers to the name of Mickey... or two girls who answer to the names of Aqua and Kairi. They'll be suspicious at first, but they should listen if you tell them how urgent the situation is. Just mention the boy's name- it's Roxas."

"Got it..." Isa said, running off into the distance.

XXXXXXXX

Mickey had ordered the survivors to scout out any wounded on the battlefield and bring them to the clearing outside the battle site, where the gummi ship was located. Kairi was escorting Aqua and Ventus to the site at that moment- Ven had taken a blow to the arm and was most likely suffering from a fracture.

The injury itself wasn't life-threatening, but Ven was showing signs of shock, most likely from watching his former teammate get nearly taken down. Terra was alive and free of possession, but was severely injured. They were forced to leave him behind with a group of healers from Hollow Bastion looking after him until he was stable enough to be moved. Kairi wasn't sure if he would make it.

Aqua wanted to stay behind with Ven but had been told by the boy himself to go back out and find more people who could be saved. That was what had them skirting the perimeter of the battlefield, looking for survivors from a higher viewpoint.

"Oh no! Oh no!" Kairi rushed to the scene before her before Aqua even realized what it was. Kairi had spotted someone lying near the edge of the perimeter, and was going to look him over for signs of life, only to break down the moment she realized who it was.

"Riku! No, please, not you too! Please wake up! Don't leave me!" She held him tightly in her arms, rocking back and forth and sobbing as she did so. Aqua walked calmly to her side, laying a comforting hand on her shoulder.

"I know, Kairi. It's painful to watch your loved ones get taken away from you like this. But... you know fate wouldn't give a boy like him a cruel afterlife. He's not suffering anymore. Look at his face. I don't even think he suffered in the end..."

Kairi looked at his face, as Aqua suggested. Riku did in fact look peaceful. Kairi wondered what had happened to him that would make him smile even though he was dying.

"Come on, it would be a horrible way to honor him by allowing more people to die. It sounds cruel, but we don't have time to grieve." Aqua gently lifted Riku's body from Kairi's arms, intending to at least move him to a more peaceful resting place. Riku's head fell backward as she lifted him, exposing his neck and the telltale throb of a vein under the skin.

"He's still alive!" Aqua breathed, quickly lowering back to the ground and bringing her ear to his chest, listening intently for signs of life. Suddenly she lowered her mouth to his and kissed him. Kairi looked on in disbelief.

"What are you doing?!" She asked incredulously.

Aqua had risen back into a kneeling position and now had both hands on Riku's chest and was rhythmically pressing down on it.

"You're joking, right? Raised on an island most of your life and you don't know what mouth-to-mouth is? I'm trying to keep him alive!" Aqua exclaimed as she worked on him, and Kairi quickly realized she had not been kissing him but forcing air into his lungs, alternating between the two activities at a set pace.

"Kairi, I need you to go back out there and look for more of the wounded, if you find Mickey or any of the others, send them this way quickly! I'll be ok!" she added as Kairi shot her a questioning look.

XXXXXXXX

Isa found Mickey quickly, led by the mouse's unmistakable round ears. They were both back at Roxas and Lea's side quickly, the mouse quickly but gently removing the stone spikes from Roxas' body and casting Curaga over the wounds so he wouldn't bleed to death.

"That should keep him stable for now, but the wounds will start bleeding again soon if we don't treat them properly. We need to get him to safety- find the gummi ship on the outer perimeter of the valley. I've ordered everyone to take the wounded there."

"Where's Sora?" Roxas asked weakly.

"Easy, save your strength..." Mickey answered sadly. "We still haven't found Sora... but I'll send word when we do find him... you have my word!" The mouse gave Roxas' hand a reassuring squeeze as Lea lifted and carried him away.

"Kairi! There you are!" Mickey exclaimed just as the girl approached from the same direction Lea, Isa and Roxas just left. "Has there been any luck with the search?"

"Ven was hurt, but his injuries aren't life threatening. I was more concerned about the fact that he was in shock when I found him. It seems whatever that flash of light in the distance was... it cleansed the Hearts of everyone who Xehanort possessed. Terra was there... and he was critically wounded."

Mickey's head lowered sadly. "What are his odds?"

"He could go either way... the medics from Hollow Bastion had just managed to stabilize him when I ran into you... Mickey... there's something else you need to know... it's Riku..."

"Oh no! Don't tell me that he-"

"He's alive, but he's in worse shape than Terra right now- his arm was nearly severed at the shoulder- and he had lost so much blood when I found him. Aqua was trying to revive him when I left her... I'm scared Mickey... if Sora makes it... but Riku doesn't, how will he take it?"

Mickey's eyes were sad, but still held some of the glint of steadfast hope when he spoke to her.

"Don't give up yet Kairi. Even if those two boys have given up, you can still give them enough support to bring them both out of this alive and whole! You just gotta have faith in them!"

End of Chapter 28.


	29. Suffering

Chapter 29

"Gawrsh... It's like... everything here has been completely wiped away..." Goofy said dejectedly.

"But wouldn't that mean... Sora was wiped away too?" Kairi asked in panic.

"No! Sora wouldn't disappear so easily! He has to be around here somewhere! SORA! SORAAAA!" Donald screeched as loud as he could, his voice echoing across the empty expanse.

They had made their way to the site of the massive explosion that marked the end of the battle. Everyone believed that was where Sora had the final clash with Xehanort. Yet no trace of either of them could be found. In fact, it looked as though the entire landscape had been cleanly scooped away for several yards. The small search party was beginning to wonder if there even was anything left of Sora or Xehanort left to recover.

"If there's anything left to recover or not, I don't think we're gonna have any luck searching inside the perimeter. If anything survived that explosion, it would most likely have been thrown to the edge. We should split up and search around it." Mickey said.

XXXXXXXX

_I'm beginning to wonder if it was the warmth from Kairi's body that restarted his heart? He was so cold when we found him. _

The Keyblade Graveyard was a bitterly cold place, one completely devoid of light and life. That was what made the search for survivors such a pressing matter- injured or sick people could freeze to death in a matter of hours in such an environment.

Riku was declared to be in the beginnings of hypothermia as soon as he was brought to the Gummi ship. Aqua now sat propped up against a wall of the ship, the boy cradled in her arms, wrapped in many blankets. She resorted to holding him like this when he started shivering violently, trying to warm him with her body. It seemed to be working, Riku slowly began to relax in her arms, his breathing slow and even. Yet she noticed his condition was beginning to deteriorate. He was weakening, and Aqua could feel blood beginning to flow from the wound in his shoulder, soaking into the blankets he was wrapped in.

_Don't tell me the cold was actually what kept him alive! He started bleeding like this as soon as he began to warm up! _She quickly removed the blankets covering his upper body, exposing the bloody mess beneath.

"What sort of monster managed to mangle him like this! Curaga!" Aqua exclaimed as she worked to slow the bleeding, assessing the full extent of the damage. It was severe, and Aqua made the horrid realization that Riku might lose his arm.

She knew his ability to protect his friends meant the world to him, and if he lost the ability to fight, it was a fate worse than death to him.

"So..ra..." Riku sighed and muttered the name as Aqua managed to stabilize him again. She returned to the position she was in before, taking care to keep Riku in an upright position in case the wound started to bleed again.

"They're still looking for him... I wish I could tell you he's all right, but I just don't know..." Aqua said sadly, holding the boy closer to her and crying softly.

XXXXXXXX

"I wish I knew how Roxas was doing right now..." Lea muttered to himself, picking his way among the debris scattered around the perimeter of the crater formed by that strange explosion. He wasn't allowed to go with him- there wasn't enough room in the gummi ship, and all of it would be needed for the wounded and the healers treating them. He was told to go and search for more, which had ultimately led him to the site of the final clash, where they searched for Sora and anyone unfortunate enough to be caught in the fallout of the explosion.

He kicked a twisted ribbon of metal aside, an object he speculated to be the remnants of a Keyblade, where it landed with a resounding clang some distance away. The sound triggered another to be made- closer, yet fainter. Lea could have sworn he heard someone let out a yelp.

Running to the source of the sound, he nearly overlooked it- a gloved hand protruding from beneath a pile of more twisted Keyblade remnants. Lea ran to it and began to throw every piece of metal he could move under his own power aside. He soon revealed the person buried below the debris. It was Sora, barely conscious and covered in blood and bruises.

"I found him, come quick! He's alive, but he's hurt!" Lea worked quickly to move as much of the debris as he could, but soon found out how serious the situation really was. Sora was being pinned down by several pieces of metal, several of which were impaling him.

Kairi and Donald were the first ones there, both at his side in seconds. Kairi gently lifted him so his head lay in her lap, stroking his soft brown spikes. Donald knelt beside him and clutched his hand.

"Oh my gosh!" Mickey exclaimed in alarm as he saw the boy for himself. He too knelt at his side and looked at him intently. "Sora? Can you hear me? Stay with me!" He motioned to Lea, leaving the others to look after Sora.

"We're never gonna be able to move him with those Keyblade remnants pinning him down like that. But we'd have to cut the protrusions and pull him off their remnants in order to free him of them. It's an extremely risky endeavor. Lea, I'd have more faith in the notion if we had better medical supplies. I'm asking you... can you use your Dark Corridor to teleport back to the Gummi ship and retrieve the things we need. And bring a sedative or painkiller with you if it's possible as well. The least we could do is make it easier on him if we're gonna subject him to something so barbaric."

Lea could only look back at the king sadly. "I'm afraid that's not possible right now. The Gummi ship was already near full capacity when I brought Roxas to them. They departed for Twilight Town shortly after I brought him. It's just not possible for me to accurately teleport onto a moving ship. What about Yen Sid's tower or Disney Castle? Do you think I could get the things we need from there?"

Mickey pondered the idea for a moment, then looked at Lea intently. "Can _you _handle travelling that far?"

Lea smirked. "I've done it to sneak off from training sessions several times before!"

Mickey scowled at him for the latest revelation, but quickly smiled back before reciting a list. "Well then... go to Disney Castle. Minnie should be able to help you find the things we need pretty quickly!" He paused, a look of alarm and sympathy crossing his face as Sora let out a pained outcry. Kairi was quick to comfort the boy, taking his hand and whispering soothingly in his ear. "Please hurry!" Mickey added. "He's suffering, it's obvious, and I don't know how much longer he'll be able to hold on for..."

End of Chapter 29


	30. Revelation

Chapter 30.

Lea had been quick to return with the supplies Mickey asked for. Minnie had even looked all over for the strongest painkiller they had- nearly giving up, as most of the medical supplies had been sent to Twilight Town- where the injured were being tended to- when the pair of them found a dusty vial lying- just visible- under the bed in a spare room.

It was the same medicine that Yen Sid had used to ease Riku's pain that night after Xigbar stabbed him, and they both wondered if it would be enough for Sora, considering the sad state he was in at that moment. Minnie sent him on his way, telling him to send Mickey her apologies if it wasn't enough.

Mickey used highly concentrated Fire magic to cut away as much of the metal protruding from Sora's stomach as possible. The intense heat traveled down the length of the blades, disinfecting the metal and cauterizing the wounds, however the heat caused the boy intense pain. A series of loud, agonized shrieks echoed across the landscape, and Kairi did whatever she could to distract him from the pain, taking his hands in hers and gently caressing the back of them with her thumbs, while she whispered soothing encouragements into his ear.

Sora was in tears and shaking by the time Mickey finished. The pain had lessened to a dull burn, as Lea had remembered the vial in his pocket and administered a drop of the medicine into each wound. But they all knew the worst was far from over. Sora was still impaled on the Keyblade remnants, and they had come to the point where he would have to be lifted off of them.

Kairi lifted the boy into a sitting position, as Lea and Goofy carefully grabbed him below each knee. Donald and Mickey spread a thick blanket on the ground beside him- Minnie had insisted that Lea take it with him after he had described what they were going to attempt, saying it'd be downright cruel to lower him onto cold, filthy ground after subjecting him to such an ordeal.

"This isn't going to be easy, but I promise we'll make this as quick as possible..." Kairi whispered into Sora's ear, taking his hand and squeezing it reassuringly. "Just stay strong, it'll be over soon!"

"You three... don't draw this out any longer than it needs to be, just lift him straight up on my count!" Mickey ordered. "Ok..."

"Get ready, sweetheart..." Kairi whispered.

"1... 2... 3!"

XXXXXXXX

Riku's eyes shot open, a resounding scream of agony coming from his mouth. Aqua shot into a standing position, clearly alarmed by his sudden reaction, and raced from the room.

They made it to Twilight Town in a few short hours, where they were directed to a makeshift hospital built in one of the many larger buildings. As more casualties made their way in, Aqua began to wander around more and more in search of any friends or companions, yet felt an obligation to remain at Riku's side until Kairi could see him again.

She was surprised with who the first healer she encountered was.

"Master! What are you doing here?"

Yen Sid looked at Aqua with his signature piercing gaze. "I simply will not sit by idly while so many suffer. I may be old, but that doesn't mean I've lost my abilities. Now why are you here?"

Aqua explained how she had been allowed to join them, both as a healer and as the one who had been keeping one of them alive up until their arrival. She had been staying at his side almost constantly, but had run out of the room when he started screaming, hoping she could find someone to alleviate his pain.

"Let me have a look at him..." The old wizard said in answer.

XXXXXXXX

Ven had been taken care of pretty quickly and was now insisting that he be allowed to go and help the others. Aqua had insisted he stay put and rest, making the boy protest that he could still help out with a broken arm, yet Aqua's stern look made him relent. She knew Ven had an ulterior motive- he wanted to see Terra, but she didn't think he would take well to seeing him in his current state.

He had managed to sneak out of his room, now wandering the halls of the large building, which has an air of abandonment. Any room he passed that was not currently being occupied was filled with neatly-stacked furniture, all coated with a thick layer of dust.

He was startled to see who was occupying one of the first rooms he passed. Though he had to get used to the startling fact that the two looked so similar initially, Ventus had grown to respect the youth lying on the small bed in the room, shirtless and covered in bandages, the clear tube of an IV emerging from his hand. It was Roxas, the last person Ven expected to find in his current state.

"It can't be..." Ventus said as he rushed to the boy's side, taking his hand. Roxas stirred and opened his eyes slightly.

"L-l-lea?" He asked weakly.

"Uh... no... it's me... Ven!" He said hesitantly. "I don't think he's here, but if you're here, he should be soon, if not already."

"I hope so..." Roxas said, turning his head to the side and closing his eyes again. "I need to see him..."

"Let me look for him then!" Ventus said. "I'll bring him right here if I see him!"

"I'd like that..." Roxas muttered as he fell asleep.

XXXXXXXX

"You poor thing..." Yen Sid said as he gently prodded the deep gash that ran from Riku's shoulder to just above his hip. Turning to Aqua, he asked: "Do you have any idea how this happened?"

"No..." Aqua said. "Kairi and I just found him in this state..."

"I see..." Yen Sid said, laying a hand on Riku's forehead, summoning a mass of soft blue magic. "maybe our young charge can give us an idea..." he added, closing his eyes as he began to scan Riku's memories. He suddenly looked up, withdrawing his magic, a look of disbelief on his face.

"I don't believe what I just saw..." He said, stunned. "I never thought I'd see such brutality from Sora of all people!"

"What?!" Aqua exclaimed in disbelief. "Are you sure it wasn't one of those replicas?"

"The way he reacted at the end of the battle was _not _the behavior typically displayed by a replica... Sora must hate himself right now!"

XXXXXXX

It was over. Sora had let out a horrible, strangled scream as they lifted him off the metal remnants, passing out from the pain before they even lowered him onto the blanket. Lea carried him as Kairi tagged close to his side, making their way to the spot where they were instructed to take the wounded, dismayed to see that the Gummi ship was no longer there.

"Don't worry, they're going to keep coming back until there's nobody left on the battlefield, wounded or safe. They won't be long!"

"Just hold on a little bit longer! We're gonna get you taken care of!" Kairi said to the unconscious figure in her arms. She had insisted on holding him as soon as they arrived, which Lea was more than happy to comply with. Despite being as skinny as he was, Sora was not light.

"There it is..." Mickey said, as the bright lights of the Gummi ship illuminated the sky, landing a short distance away from where the group stood. The group quickly crowded onto the ship, where they awaited the arrival of the final group of wounded and otherwise stranded warriors. Making a final confirmation that nobody alive remained in the Keyblade Graveyard, the group finally took off for Twilight Town.

End of Chapter 30.


	31. Twilight Town

Chapter 31.

Sora was whisked away by a group of healers upon arrival. Nobody from the rest of the small group was allowed to follow him, meaning they were left to wander aimlessly around the mostly deserted corridors. The least severely injured were being tended to right there in the entrance hall of the building. They happened upon Aqua, who was staring at an empty bed near the center of the room with an irritated expression.

"Boy always was impulsive..." they heard her mutter. "I told him not to leave his bed!" She soon became aware she had company, and turned around.

"I'm glad to see you made it here safely..." She said, looking at each of them in turn. "So I'll take it you managed to find Sora?"

Kairi couldn't meet Aqua's eyes, only giving a slight nod. Aqua looked at the girl in concern.

"Did he survive?"

"He's alive, but he was impaled on several Keyblade remnants when we found him. The healers haven't told us anything, but he was only just brought in within the hour. I think Kairi's just scared for him." Lea spoke for her, concern evident in his own voice.

"Master Aqua... what about Riku?" Kairi asked quietly.

Aqua sighed. "He fell into a violent choking fit about an hour ago. It wouldn't stop, so I ran to find a healer. She confirmed my suspicions- his lung had been pierced, he was drowning in his own blood. She ran off and came back with three others, ordering me to leave so they'd have room to work. I'm afraid that's all I know about him at the present. I came out here to see Ven, but as you can see, he's run off. I think he's trying to find Terra, but I have no idea where he's being kept right now, so I have nothing to go on in my search."

"We should spilt up then, maybe one of us will find Ven, Terra, or both of them. Do you have any idea how this place has been set up?" Kairi asked.

"The more severely a person is injured, the closer to the center of the building they are. I don't know how bad Terra's condition was when he was brought here, so Ven could be anywhere."

XXXXXXXX

Lea wandered along one of many deserted corridors in the makeshift hospital. At first he wondered why the place was so quiet, but he figured most of the healers were too busy tending to the injured. He didn't mind all that much, as it meant he didn't have to face being questioned by everyone he encountered. Two had already stopped him, only to say they had seen no sign of Ventus, and to keep quiet while he resumed his search.

"Lea? I've been looking for you!" The voice caught Lea off guard, and he jumped and turned around in alarm. It seemed that Ventus had in fact been tailing him.

"Ven!" Lea exclaimed in a stern voice. "Aqua told you to stay in bed!"

"I already told her I felt fine!" Ven said in a slightly whiny voice. "But Lea... I ran into Roxas a short time ago. He kept asking for you while I was there..."

Lea's ears perked up. "Roxas? How's he doing right now?" he asked urgently.

"Weak. Sounded like he was in pain too, though he wouldn't tell me if that was the case.. All he kept saying was he wanted to see you."

"Can you take me to him?"

XXXXXXXX

Aqua and Kairi were searching another section of the building when they too were stopped by a healer. Kairi thought they were going to get rebuked and sent back to the entrance hall, but it turned out to be a different case.

"Master Aqua!" She said, bowing to her in greeting. "We've managed to get the boy's condition stable again. You can go back to him at any time... just keep in mind that he's been sedated, and it'll be a few hours until it wears off."

"Riku? He'll be okay?" Kairi exclaimed.

"It's still to soon to tell..." The healer said grimly. "He'll survive..." She added as Kairi let out a yelp of terror. "But the damage is just so extensive. He was cut so deeply that the arm was nearly severed, and on top of that there was a hole torn in his lung, several shattered bones, and extensive nerve damage. He'll be in for a long recovery- that much is for sure."

"I still can't believe that Sora of all people could inflict that much damage..." Aqua said shortly after the healer gave them leave. "Guess it's lucky that he's our ally. I'd hate to have to meet him in full-blown battle."

"Wait a minute... SORA wounded him? But... why?" Kairi asked in disbelief.

"Yen Sid scanned Riku's memories shortly before he suffered that complication. His kidnappers had convinced him that Sora died... he couldn't believe he was looking at him, alive and well, and voiced that fact. Sora interpreted his behavior as those of a replica and attacked him. Riku hesitated- he didn't want to hurt him- and it cost him in the end."

"Sora... he must have been in so much pain. Riku was in a deathlike state when we found him. Sora must have thought he killed him!"

XXXXXXXX

It was the first time Ventus had seen Lea cast aside his smug demeanor. He ran to Roxas' side as soon as he saw him, taking his hand and breaking down. Roxas opened his eyes, a weak smile forming on his face when he saw him.

"Lea... I've been... waiting for you." he said softly.

"I'm here Roxas, I'm right here... you just rest, get your strength up." Lea responded, gently kissing the top of the boy's hand.

End of Chapter 31.


	32. The Sacrifice of Roxas

Chapter 32

Yen Sid was waiting outside Riku's room when they arrived. Kairi nearly ran straight past him in her eagerness to see Riku, but was quickly stilled by the old wizard's outstretched arm.

"Not so fast Kairi, you'll be able to see him soon enough! I just need to inform you about a few things first." He began to tell them pretty much the same things that the healer had warned them about earlier- that Riku had sustained severe injuries and wasn't expected to wake for a few hours.

"Kairi, listen to me... he's going to need the support of his friends, especially now. The nerve damage in his right side is extensive, and while nobody knows how he'll be affected by it in the long run, the fact is... such injuries take a long time to mend, and some of them don't mend at all. He may never fully recover."

"Master!" Another healer nearly ran into Yen Sid in his rush. "We need you, quickly!"

"Calm down!" Yen Sid scolded, lifting the healer back onto his feet. "Now talk to me... _calmly_... what is going on?"

"It's the boy... Sora... he's taken a turn for the worse! We need your expertise, you could still save him!"

Kairi looked up suddenly, startled at the news. She suddenly rushed to Yen Sid and bowed low to him, clutching the hem of his robes desperately.

"Please Master!" She sobbed pleadingly. "Go to him! Don't let him die! I... I'll try to do everything I can to help in your absence. Just please, save him!"

XXXXXXXX

"I'm... glad you're here..." Roxas whispered. "It wouldn't be... so easy to do this... if I didn't get to... say goodbye first."

"Say goodbye? What are you talking about Roxas? You-you're gonna be fine, stop talking like you were dying!" Lea said, alarmed.

Roxas just chuckled softly, his face quickly returning to its relaxed state. "Sora's here... I can sense him... Lea... he's lost the will to fight. He'll die if he doesn't get the strength he needs."

"I'll go let the healers know then... they should set him right.." He was stopped in the middle of his rant by Roxas' weak but steady hand.

"This is something the healers won't be able to do for him. Lea... I'm going to return to Sora. My strength... should be enough..."

"NO! Roxas... there must be another way!" Lea pleaded. "I only just got you back and now you're gonna leave me again... please... no..." He lowered his head onto the boy's chest, crying quietly into it.

"Don't be sad for me... Lea..." Roxas whispered. "This is my decision... and I'm not scared..."

"You're like a son to me..." Lea cried quietly.

"Than love Sora like a son in my absence. Lea... so many people depend on him. If he dies... so many Hearts will break... so many more will be lost. I couldn't live with myself if I let that happen."

XXXXXXXX

Mickey was already seated at the bedside when Kairi and Aqua entered Riku's room. The mouse had a forlorn look on his face as he absently stroked the back of Riku's right hand.

"The ability to be strong and protect his friends is what matters the most to him. What will happen if it turns out he lost the ability to fight?" He asked sadly, watching the other two take a seat at either side of the bed.

"I'm not sure..." Kairi said quietly. "He may have already lost what he wanted to protect anyways..." she added as tears started to flow freely. "This war broke them... Sora... Riku... my poor, beloved boys!" She clutched desperately at Riku's free hand, only to loosen her grip as the boy gave an involuntary yelp of pain. She wasn't aware of the IV leading from the top of his hand, which dug into his skin when she gripped his hand so hard.

"What is that for?" Kairi asked in a mixture of curiosity and alarm.

"Painkiller..." Mickey answered without looking up. "He'd have a hard time coping with his injuries without it."

"Where am I?" Came a weak voice. All three of the others present looked up as Riku stirred slightly but did not wake. "Is Sora safe?"

"I hope I didn't disturb him because of that..." Kairi said.

"No... he's just dreaming..." Mickey answered.

XXXXXXXX

"Lea...I don't have... much time..." Roxas said with as much urgency as he could muster. "He's already dying... No, Lea... don't make this... harder than it must be..." he added as Lea suddenly lifted Roxas into a tight embrace, sobbing into the boy's shoulder.

"I don't care how hard this is... I'm not the one leaving you!" Lea muttered stubbornly.

"Lea... don't forget that I'm a part of Sora... whenever you need me... just go to him..." A strong glow began to form around the boy, and Roxas had a serene smile on his face as he began to vanish.

"No... Roxas... nooo..." Lea cried.

"I'll see you in the next life... big brother..." Roxas said quietly, returning Lea's embrace as his body completely vanished. There was nothing left for Lea to hold, and he collapsed against the bed Roxas had been lying on, hot bitter tears running down his cheeks.

"Roxas..." he whispered in quiet anguish.

XXXXXXXX

Meanwhile, a room several halls away was a flurry of activity. Sora was lying on the bed in the center of the room, surrounded by several healers. He was pale and cold, most traces of life slowly slipping away despite the combined efforts of all involved.

"Come on Sora, keep fighting, come back to us..." Yen Sid said encouragingly as he summoned a mass of pulsating green magic, laying it over Sora's heart.

Nothing happened for several minutes, and Yen Sid was beginning to lose hope, afraid he was about to lose this boy, who so many depended on. He couldn't let that happen. He gave a sad but resigned sigh, ready to extinguish his magic and try again when he was able to gather enough mana to do the job properly, when suddenly a strange magic other than the healing spell Yen Sid was using entered Sora's body.

A strong, resounding glow formed within his body the instant the magic was absorbed. It died down quickly, and color returned to Sora's face as soon as it did. His breathing deepened and he began to stir slightly, muttering something indiscernible in his sleep.

"What was that?" One of the healers asked as he watched Sora continue to improve.

"I think the boy has friends in high places..." Yen Sid answered, a smile forming on his face. "Welcome back, Sora..." He said to the sleeping boy as he extinguished his own magic.

End of Chapter 32.


	33. Chaos

Chapter 33

The courtyard of the building that was serving as the field hospital had been converted into a hangar. Three gummi ships sat there silently, unused since that last group of injured arrived almost 5 days ago. They had been mostly abandoned, their only visitors being healers that retrieved supplies from any one of them. Nobody seemed to notice there was a stowaway in the smallest ship.

A large, round creature pawed desperately at the window of that ship as it let out pleading whines, trying in vain to find an escape route. It had devoured anything edible it could find and was now hungry again.

It was lucky for the creature that a few healers had entered the courtyard to get more supplies, one of them noticing the movements of the creature and taking sympathy for it. She walked to the gummi ship and opened it, to immediately be leaped upon by a large Dream Eater. It was the meowjesty that had taken a liking to Kairi on the battlefield, and he had followed her onto the ship that day. Nobody noticed it as their focus was on Sora at the time.

It quickly bounded into the building, where it left a trail of chaos in it's wake. Every able body present tried to capture it, only to be quickly shaken off by it's size and strength.

XXXXXXXX

Kairi was running herself ragged in the meantime. She had agreed to take on the role of healer herself, on the condition of being able to see Sora whenever he needed her. The boy had been drifting in and out of consciousness ever since his sudden improvement a few days earlier, still extremely weakened by blood loss. He kept asking for Kairi during his brief moments of awakening, but he would often have drifted off to sleep again by the time she got to his side.

Riku had been having a rough time. The nerve damage in his right side often caused him enough pain to bring him screaming out of a deep sleep. Kairi was present during several these attacks, often driven close to tears as she watched him thrash around on his bed as several other healers struggled to hold him down long enough to sedate him.

He had been under the knife three times in an effort to repair the damage, and Yen Sid seemed to lose more hope with each attempt, certain that Riku was doomed to live with those excruciating nerve attacks for the rest of his life. He had only just come out of that third procedure and was sleeping peacefully for the time being as Kairi sat at his side holding a cool cloth against his face, remembering how she had done the same thing for him the night that Xigbar wounded him.

Yen Sid was the only other one in the room, keeping a close watch out for any complications as Riku recovered. He tried to keep a stoic face in Kairi's presence, but she could feel the tension radiating from him. He was beginning to have doubts.

"You mentioned the odds were high that the nerve damage might never be repaired. What could such a thing mean for him in the long run?" Kairi asked Yen Sid desperately. "How will he be able to cope?"

"If nothing improves for him in the coming days, he'll have to learn how to live with it. We can't keep him sedated like this for the rest of his life. I don't think that Riku himself would stand for it. Things can be done to ease his pain, but it may never completely disappear." He answered in a depressed but steady voice.

"Sora... Kairi... I- uhn!" Riku stirred slightly, disturbing the injured arm with his movements. Kairi was quick to still him, taking care not to disturb the injury further.

"Hush, try not to move too much!" She chided gently before turning back to Yen Sid. "How long do you think it'll be before Sora recovers? I think what these two need most right now is each other! Easy, _easy!_" She added as Riku stirred again, arching his back and whimpering in pain as his right side began to flare with pain. Whimpers quickly escalated to cries and within minutes he was thrashing on the bed again, letting out shrieks of agony.

XXXXXXXX

"Somebody stop that thing!" A healer shouted at anyone in the hall that could hear. The meowjesty had managed to escape into a nearby corridor and was making it's way down the hall in a series of leaps. The Dream Eater froze against a wall near a door, surrounded by people, and began to let out high pitched, chirping barks.

XXXXXXXX

"Come on Riku, breathe! I know it hurts, but you gotta calm down and breathe through it!" Kairi spoke those words to him like a mantra, trying in vain to get through to him, despite knowing he was too lost in his pain to listen. She looked to the other person in the room desperately, and Yen Sid rose with a speed that was unlike him, quickly but calmly walking to the door to go retrieve another healer to aid them.

Something large and round bounded through the door the instant it was opened, knocking Yen Sid off his feet and landing with a resounding _flop _on the bed.

"Get off of him! You'll hurt him!" Kairi shrieked at... whatever it was that just unceremoniously leaped into the room. She didn't try to take in details immediately, more concerned about how much damage that thing might have just inflicted on her friend. She was startled to see what it was- her Meowjesty, and it was spinning magic, a resounding blue-green glow forming around both it and Riku.

"What on earth just happened?" Kairi asked in shock when it was all over. Riku seemed to have calmed down, and the meowjesty was now perched on him, showering the sleeping boy with sloppy, loving kisses. Kairi didn't know whether to laugh or just stare at the bizarre sight before her.

"I think it heard him screaming and felt compelled to cast Curaga on him... but that alone couldn't possibly have set him completely right! You don't suppose... Dream Eaters are capable of stronger magic than we possess? And how did it get _here?_" Yen Sid said as he rose to his feet, still stunned at the prospect of being bowled over by a meowjesty.

"Am I still dreaming?" Came another voice. Riku too had been awoken by the sudden chaos, and the first thing he had seen was a Dream Eater- who was now perched at the foot of his bed, fast asleep.

"Riku?" Kairi had to take care not to jostle him too much as she cautiously approached him and took him in a warm embrace. "I've been so scared for you!" she said in a quavering voice. Riku let out a slight gasp as she grazed the open cut on his side, but quickly overlooked it and tried to return her hug.

Something was off. His left arm responded normally, but no matter how hard he tried, Riku's right arm would not budge. He turned around desperately, thinking he was probably just immobilized by something, but quickly flew into full blown panic as he saw nothing that would hinder his movement. His entire body started trembling as shock set in, yet his arm remained still.

"Oh no! Please No!" He exclaimed.

"Riku? What's wrong?" Kairi exclaimed as she released him from her embrace, alarmed at his show of panic.

"My arm!" Riku exclaimed as a hideous chill of terror ran across his entire body. "I can't move my arm!"

End of Chapter 33.


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